Rebuild of Fairly English Story
by SamJaz
Summary: Persona 3: FES, only Minato is English, hence the title. Then Minato cheats the game. So the game cheats back. So Minato cheats the world. So the story is retold.
1. Rebuild 001

A blue butterfly appeared in my mind. I knew it didn't speak, but I still heard the words in my mind…

_Time never waits._

_It delivers all equally to the same end._

_You, who wish to safeguard the future,_

_You will be given one year;_

_Go forth, never falter,_

_With your heart as your guide..._

I opened my eyes, waking from the weird dream. I heard the announcers voice; _"The next station is Iwatodai. Please take all your belongings with you, we apologize for the delay."_

Sighing, I stood up and grabbed my bag, and walked to the door of the train, as it began to slow down.

Might as well introduce myself. My Name's Minato Arisoto. I'm seventeen and from West Yorkshire. Yeah, I know, Minato is a weird name for a Yorkshireman, and Arisoto isn't even an English name, but that's because my dad was Japanese. Me, my sister and mom lived with him until I was seven.

The entire family died in March back in 2000, and I was brought up by my aunt and uncle back in England.

As the train ground to a halt, I remembered once again just how screwed up I was. Nothing ever scared me, I even watched The Exorcist when I was ten and didn't even flinch. My face rarely showed any emotion unconsciously other than tiredness; even when I was wide awake. As I stepped off the train, I saw the clock and was thankful I had jetlag. If my body didn't think it was four in the afternoon I would probably be knackered right now-

That was when the lights died and everyone turned to coffins. As usual, the walls started bleeding and my MP3 player was silent. I checked the clock again and compared it to my watch. It was midnight here, but this normally happened around four-ish back home, depending on daylight savings or whatever.

Here in Japan, it happens same time globally, only it's the middle of the night here.

This would certainly make things more convenient.

Before, in the same hour that school ended, everyone turned to coffins, the sun turned black, and I was the only one in the world for one hour.

I had enough time to get home and lock myself in a room before coffin time began, which gave me an hour to do what I wanted to do, so long as I got back to my room in time. For ages I read books or exercised, but then I found another kid who didn't turn into a coffin. It was his first time, which was weird, but David and I soon became close friends.

Still, that didn't change the fact that it always made life difficult whenever people saw us when Coffin Time began or ended, since to them it'd be like we teleported, but if it takes place during midnight it Japan, then I can sleep during the time-stop instead of study or vandalise stuff. Yay.

I'm fairly intelligent, and I've been called charming by girls and fearless by guys, but I reckon I'm just polite, and as for the fearless part, well, that's not the case.

I know fear. I know it damn well.

I came to understand fear one afternoon in an alley as I fumbled for a brick with a broken leg.

Part of the reason I came here.

* * *

I started walking to the dorms that would be my new home for the next couple of years. I've completed my GCSE's, but my uncle wanted me to spend some time in the country my mother fell in love with, and in.

So, here's me. Complete nutjob, walking through coffins and blood in the middle of the night, barely able to speak Japanese, in Japan, to go to school for the next two years, even though I've already got my national qualifications.

Why am I here if I can't speak the language? Oh, I ain't thick. I can understand Japanese fine, and read it great, it was my first language after all. It's just that I was brought up in Yorkshire; it's not an easy accent to lose.

So, in exchange of having my daily timestop not cockblock any attempt of a good social life, I lack the foremost ability I'd use to gain one - speech.

I stopped walking then. When I thought about it, I never really spoke much when I was home either. It wasn't that I didn't have much to say, I just didn't like interrupting. Come to think of it, I actually did more listening. Maybe that's why people liked talking to me, not because I was sensitive, but because I knew what to say.

I had difficulty understanding how other people didn't get this before now, but now that I thought about it, I actually put others before myself on a regular basis. Was that really so rare? I shook my head and carried on following the map that had been sent me.

* * *

I eventually got to the place. I climbed the steps and tried the door. I guess they were expecting me, because it was unlocked. I stepped through the door and realised that the lights were on. This was weird, normally anything electric died around this time. I put my bag down on the floor and, remembering my manners, took my shoes off.

"You're late." An impossible voice said, filling me with pants-wetting terror. "I've been waiting a long time for you."

I turned to see a young boy behind the counter beside me, probably aged ten, elbows leaning on the wood. He looked very familiar, but I just couldn't place it. So, there were other people who knew about Coffin Time here in Japan too? Warn me next time, why don't you…

The boy clicked his fingers. "Now if you want to proceed", he continued, suddenly between me and the door out of here, as he gestured back to the counter "Please sign your name there." I looked where he gestured, noticing a thin red book.

"It's a contract." He said, as the book opened up on its own. "Don't worry, all it says it that you'll take full responsibility for your actions." By this point, I was actually sweating, as the boy continued; "You know, The Usual Stuff…"

Deciding to ignore the how tripping this whole thing was, I looked at the contract.

'_I, Minato Arisoto, give my word that I will take full responsibility for the consequences of my decisions.'_

It seemed suspiciously simple. Ah, what the hell, I signed it. Worst that could happen could only give some answers.

Once I was done, I passed it to the boy, who held it to his chest like a long lost teddy bear.

"No one can escape time," The boy explained in a perfectly normal and non-threatening manner. "It delivers us all to the same end…" He held the contract to his face and continued, "You can't plug your ears and cover your eyes." He elaborated, turning the book sideways as it vanished like Bugs Bunny down a rabbit hole.

Most people would make an appeal to sanity. I'd pretty much welcomed my madness with open arms long ago.

Shadows started growing around the room and the lights started dimming. The boy lifted up a hand as he began to disappear into the darkness.

"And so it begins…" he whispered, and then he was gone.

Now it was back to normal crazy time, and I heard another voice. "Darewo gasokoni dearuka?"

I turned and saw a girl there speaking Japanese. I was worried why I didn't understand her but then I realised I was talking to that boy in English, so I wasn't expecting Japanese. She was looking at me with intense determination, but I could tell she was scared by the way her hand was shaking. My eyes followed her hand and holy crap she has a gun strapped to her thigh.

And what a thigh!

No, no, focus on the gun.

Better idea, focus on the girl, calm her down before she decides to use it.

The brunette was breathing heavily, and I knew it wasn't because she was tired.

She thinks she's ready to fill some sucka fulla lead, but she's never fought before.

She doesn't know how to use that gun, she's terrified, which worries me.

If she was calm, then the problem was half gone. As it is, one wrong word or movement and she'll start shooting wildly and one of us will get hit by the ricochet.

Think, Minato me lad. What to do...

I raised my hands into the air slowly. "Gomen?" I asked.

She suddenly grabbed her gun and I did a barrel roll.

"Takeba! Teishi!"

CLUNK

I rolled back onto my backside, rubbing the head that I'd just whacked against the wooden counter. Solid wood that, oak? Nice...

Wait, that was a different person talking there. Not just from the voice or direction, it was a whole different kind of persona behind that voice.

The second voice wasn't afraid of me or of combat. Rather, she knew it well.

I wasn't expecting there to be a third person, but I knew she was telling the first girl to wait. We all froze there for a moment, and then the lights came on and my music started playing. The first girl, a pretty cute brunette in a pink jumper, breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at the second girl, who was obviously the one in charge.

She was beautiful. That wasn't a compliment, it was an honest fact. Her long, red hair was straitened down her face, and curled down her back. She wore a ruffled blouse and a long skirt, and something about her, well, everything about her screamed elegance. I figured that now it was time to get my brain in gear and stand up as she approached me.

"I didn't think you'd arrive so late." she commented as I brushed myself down. I couldn't tell if she was speaking English or Japanese, but she continued, "My name is Mitsuru Kirijo. I'm one of the students living in this dorm."

"Minato Arisoto." I replied, rubbing my head with my left hand and offering my right. "It's good to see you."

The brunette turned to Mitsuru. "Who's he?" she asked.

I felt pretty awesome being able to hear what they were saying as Mitsuru explained I was a transfer student who was moving into their dorm, even though she left me hanging without a handshake.

I could understand Japanese just as well as I could English, so long as I was expecting it.

Ya-Bloody-tta.

I caught that she said that I'd eventually be moved to a room in the boys' dorm.

That concerned the gun girl. "Is it okay for him to be here?" she asked. It sounded like she thought I might do something.

Irony, you are a Japanese brunette with a gun on your thigh.

Seriously though, something was off. Was it the fact that they had guns? Probably. Was it the fact that_ both_ of these fine young ladies were walking around in Coffin Time, but are trying to hide its existence from me, as if my awareness to it had been one of those one-time awakenings I've seen a couple of times? Possibly.

Was it the fact that Brunette with the gun calmed the hell down once Coffin Time ended, yet was ready to blow my bloody brains out before then?

_Nah_, couldn't be.

The redhead, Mitsuru, smiled at the Brunette's concern. "I guess we'll see…" She then turned to me and, gesturing to her friend, said "This is Yukari Takeba. She'll be a junior this spring, just like you."

I could have mentioned that I had little idea of how the Japanese school system worked, other than the fact I had to turn up on Saturday (Sucks, right?), but I decided not to. Yukari bowed her head slightly and said, almost reluctantly, "…Hey."

I could have asked her if this was really the girls' dorm or, more importantly, why she had a gun, but I figured that I'd find out soon enough, so I settled for a good old fashioned "Nice to meet you."

She seemed almost taken back by this, "Uh, y-yeah…" she bowed again. "Nice to meet you too." she replied, this time with a smile on her face.

"It's getting late, so you should get some rest." Mitsuru had a way of getting our attention easily. "Your room is on the second floor, at the end of the hallway; your things should already be there."

She then turned to Yukari, who seemed to take the hint. "Oh, I'll show you the way." the brunette told me, leading the way towards the staircase at the back of the dorm. "Follow me."

* * *

As she led me to my room, I considered my chances with the two girls. Yukari seemed just slightly out of my league, and I got the feeling that Mitsuru wasn't interested in any guy who couldn't keep up to her intellectually. Before I knew it, we were there. "This is it," Yukari told me. "Pretty easy to remember huh? Since it's right at the end of the hall." Yukari laughed slightly at her little joke, but it seemed almost fake. "Oh yeah, make sure you don't lose your key, or you'll _never_ hear the end of it." Yep, there it was again. While I didn't have her down as one of those… _Objects_ from my old school, I could still recognise fake smiles and attitudes of someone who didn't like themselves, but refused to admit it. "So, any questions?"

Not wanting to bring up what I'd been thinking about, I decided to go for a less intrusive question, "What's with the contract?"

"Huh?" Yukari was clearly surprised, "What contract?"

I almost slapped myself on the head. It was a freaky contract that disappeared in the hands of that freaky kid, like one of David Blaine's cards. The kid himself pulled a Houdini, which should have been a clear sign that it was just another figment of my insanity.

Yukari seemed to be a bit worried about me now. "Hey… Can I ask you something? On your way here from the station, was everything okay?"

Not wanting to sound any more of a psycho that I already was, I was about to tell her it was fine, but then I remembered that she'd almost shot me during Coffin Time, so I decided to try to work on her. "What do you mean?" I asked, taking my hands out of my pockets.

"You know what I- Never mind…" The girl smiled. "It seems like you're alright."

She seemed genuinely happy for me, as if I'd avoided some grim fate.

Like I wouldn't have to get caught up fighting whatever she was ready to kill that appears to only exist in Coffin Time.

Maybe around here, people turn into zombies during Coffin Time or something? It's a possibility, and it would explain the guns.

Hey, I'm insane, I'm allowed to prepare for the zombie invasion.

"Well, I'd better get going…" Yukari announced awkwardly, in the way people do when the person they're talking to is lost in thought and they really want to leave but it would be rude to just walk away before the conversation ends.

"Later then." I replied, opening my new door.

She stopped outside my next-door-neighbours room and turned around to face me, a slightly worried look on her face. "Um… I'm sure you have other questions, but let's save them for later, okay?" She asked, flashing me a quick smile "Good night."

She walked away and up the stairs. I didn't even bother to tell her that I wasn't even remotely tired yet, so I spent the next few hours unpacking my things, and tried to get some sleep. Bear in mind, four in the morning in Japan is Eight PM back home.

I slapped myself on the head. "Selim Bradley." I muttered, rolling back under my covers. No wonder that kid creeped me out,

I didn't sleep.

* * *

**=] [=**

* * *

So, better explain myself.

I wrote Fairly English Story back when I had no idea what I was doing. I was inexperienced, hasty, proud and, quite frankly, not as good as this story deserved me to be.

So, here is Rebuild of Fairly English Story.

It's simple. I'll be going over the early chapters in order and redoing them, correcting mistakes, installing new content, new jokes, extending fight scenes, more original scenes, more foreshadowing, and a generally better experience. All a new reader has to do is read this story up to however far it goes, then go to the next chapter in the main story.

The reason that I posted this as a separate story is so people can still read the original and watch how I develop as an author. However, if you want the best experience, you want to read the rebuilt chapters and then continue. I won't get very far with the rebuild, as my mission draws closer and closer, but if I can improve the story in any small way, then I will jump at the chance to do this.

Now, this was my initial intention. And I wish I could have done that. But, instead, I didn't.

I couldn't. It's not in my nature. I can't just give the same-old. I cranked up the epic. Again.

If you're reading this for the first time, go read the original story first. Or ignore me and get a very different story than originally.

Fairly English Story was mostly lighthearted, a barrel of fun and epic in many shapes and forms. This is darker, more accurate, and shows a different light on previous events. This will have spoilers for the other version of the story, and vice-versa.

Welcome to the story of Minato Arisoto.

**_NO SPOILERS IN THE REVIEWS. MORE REVIEWS GIVES MORE REBUILD. YOU KNOW WHAT I LIKE AND YOU KNOW WHAT YOU LIKE. _**

And no. I will not be doing a female protagonist's story. That would be weird. **_  
_**


	2. Rebuild 002

I wasn't tired last night, but at quarter-past-seven I got knock on my door.

By now, I was fairly tired; my body thought it was eleven at night, but I was coherent.

"Chotto, sorehadearu Yukari!" I shook my head back onto Tokyo track. "Are you awake?"

I've already been dressed for school for a good few hours. I couldn't sleep, so I gave up trying around four and practiced my Japanese. I reckoned I was alright as long as I didn't speak more than I had to.

"Hello?" Yukari repeated. "Please answer the door, or I'll get in trouble!"

Oh, right.

I rushed to open the door. Yukari was standing there in her pink sweater and short skirt, sans gun. "Good morning!" she asked, stepping into my room (Score, if I was actually Japanese). "Did you sleep okay?"

I decided that I'd be honest for once. "Didn't. Jet lag."

"Ouch." she winced sympathetically. "Well, Mitsuru-Senpai asked me to take you to school; we'll get some coffee along the way."

Now, I don't actually drink coffee (Never really saw the point, I looked tired no matter what I did, and it never made me feel any more alert), but when she looked me up and down, I got the impression she was checking me out, so I figured why the hell not?

"Sure, okay." I replied with a smile, grabbing my satchel before heading out.

* * *

So now, here I am, walking to school with a girl who I suspected was probably interested in me.

It was a nice feeling. One I missed.

And you are never going to believe this, but in Japan, they have Coffee machines.

Not the ones that give you a cup and fill it with coffee. Oh, no. There are actual vending machines that serve hot coffee in cans.

Yeah. I know.

Of course, I've got two years to try this stuff out, so not wanting to come across as a noob, I opted for the orange juice, knowing it'd do me better in the long run of the day. We talked too, mostly about how our schools were different. After a few minutes, she started leading the conversation, which let me do what I did best.

Listen.

* * *

Our conversation continued while on the train. We seemed to be getting along, but there was a hint of...

Well, either Mitsuru asked her to help me out, or she's making an effort, but either way I appreciate it.

"So, that's it." Yukari finished, pointing to the window. "See? There it is!"

I looked out of the train window.

There was just ocean.

But then the train bent around the corner, and I had to admit, the school looked pretty damn awesome.

_It was on an artificial island for crying out loud!_

_A Bloody artificial island!  
_

_

* * *

_

We carried on talking the rest of the way, this time Yukari was filling me in about all the teachers and clubs they have. Along the path I saw a girl pass us on a bike. "Good morning!" she cried out to Yukari.

"Good morning." She replied. Damn, I so have got to get myself a new bike.

As we approached the gates, Yukari stepped infront of me and turned around. "Well, this is it." She told me. "We're here. Welcome to Gekkoukan High School. Hope you like it!" she said with a smile.

Too bloody cute, she is.

* * *

We walked into the building together, stopping at some lockers right by the entrance.

Ah, that's right, you wear slippers in Japanese schools and put your shoes in the locker.

"You're okay from here, right?" Yukari asked as she slipped her brown shoes into her locker.

"Yeah, I think so." I replied. I thought she wore boots, but turns out they were just very long socks.

"You should go see your homeroom teacher first." Yukari advised. "The Faculty Office is right there to the left... And that concludes the tour!" She announced, closing her locker. "Do you have any questions before I go?"

Actually, most of my questions were answered on the way here without having to ask. But I was starting to think I had a chance with this girl so I decided to play it smooth. "What class are you in?" I asked.

"Me?" Yukari asked, and I realised that it was a stupid question. "I dunno… I haven't seen the classroom assignments yet."

That was why. Yukari suddenly looked worried. "Hey… About last night... Don't tell anyone what you saw, okay? ...See ya later."

With that she left. I noticed a bulletin board with some people in front of it, but my name probably wasn't on it.

So, I decided to follow Yukari's advice and check out the faculty office.

Saw some interesting people on the way there.

There was a guy in trackies talking to a girl, having a semi-argument.

There was a nervous guy with glasses talking to another guy, clearly dominant, almost aggressive, but they seemed to be getting along.

There was a fat guy already talking to the lady behind the tuck shop.

There was some blonde guy with a fan talking to a… um… Teacher I suppose? Someone in a Samurai helmet anyways. They were having a clearly enthusiastic conversation. I had a really weird mental image of the two of them with black bowl cuts and matching green jumpsuits, and I shook my head clear.

I know I'm in Japan. I am NOT going to catch the Otaku.

"Um… S-Senpai..?"

I turned round; glad I could recognise those words even though I wasn't expecting them. There was a younger lass with long hair and glasses. She was probably pretty good looking, but she was hunched over her books, an absolute cliché. She seemed absolutely terrified.

"Um… Um… N-Nevermind!" she squeaked as she turned and ran. Strange girl.

I walked into the teachers lounge with a sigh.

* * *

A few seconds after coming in, a teacher in a suit noticed me. "Oh, are you the new student?" she asked me. I nodded, and she checked her chart.

"Minato Arisoto, Eleventh grade, correct?" I nod again, and she looks back at her notes. "Let's see… wow, all the way from England huh?" she asked. "And… in ninety-nine..."

I prepared my self for the usual. "That was, what, ten years ago? Your family…" she gasped, and I already knew what the board said.

Now for the apologies and condolences. "I'm sorry, I've just been so busy, and I didn't have time to read this before hand…" That's not all you're sorry for, but what the hey, I don't bear grudges. I realised that they weren't worth the effort four years after my parents died, back when I was eleven. "I'm Ms. Toriumi." she introduced herself. "I teach composition. Welcome to our school."

I nodded and offered my hand. She shook it, seeing I preferred the English greeting over the Japanese bow. "Have you seen the classroom assignments yet?" she asked.

I shook my head, putting my hands in my pocket. "You're in 2-F, that's my class." She explained. "But first you need to get to the auditorium, the opening ceremony will be starting soon. You go on ahead." She told me, sitting back down at the desk. "I need to catch up on all this paperwork…"

I don't envy you.

* * *

As I left I saw the blonde lad from before, still talking with the Samurai.

"Lee!"

"Gai-Sensei!"

"Lee!"

"Gai-Sensei!"

The sound was coming from two other lads, one my height with brown hair, and a taller one with a cap. Walking past them, I decided that I was suddenly in the mood for some taunting. "YOOOOOOOUUUUUTTTHH!"

The guys laughed and held up their hands. Surprised, I double fived them. Normally, that taunt of mine would be calling them a Narutard back home, but apparently Naruto was cool in Japan. Who knew?

I sighed to myself. I really need to learn how to speak Japanese well enough to use sarcasm in the privacy of my own head.

Mind you, perhaps my time would be better spent practicing sarcasm outside my head so people can actually hear it?

...Nah.

* * *

I ended up talking to the two on the way to the auditorium. Brown hair was called Kenji something, and hat was Junpei Iori. Both seemed like the kind of guy who the teachers said would be good students if they'd just apply themselves. In other words, lazy, but generally good mates, so we got along.

I concentrated through the announcements, but there was nothing really worth noting, other than I wouldn't be able to join any sports clubs for a couple of weeks. Fine with me, I doubt that they have any fishing, brawling or hiking clubs anyways.

I switched off through the head's speech; something told me it would be dull as a Monday afternoon.

Well, Monday afternoons are probably fairly sunny over here, but I still reckon that the head's speech won't be any different from any of the others I've heard.

'Do your best', 'Uphold the school', 'Reach for your dreams', and, my personal favourite, 'Don't say you can't, say you'll try.'

I smirked inwardly. Do or Do Not, there is No Try. Whether you succeed or fail is out of the question, either you put enough effort in, or you didn't. I believed in hard work over natural talent, but I also believed in having enough badassery to say what you want and follow through with your words.

That smirk turned into a smile. Good old Yoda.

It was a sarcastic smile, but I'd never been good at facial expressions. For all the skill I had with reading emotions, no-one could read mine. I could be an awesome interrogator, or even a conman.

Ever seen that show, Lie to Me? I doubt even that guy could read me. Counsellors said that trauma from the car accident my family died in retarded my emotional growth, but I knew that was a load of bollocks. I'm as 'Emotionally Intelligent' as the next three guys put together.

Actually, make that the next three girls. Other lads don't seem to grasp the concept.

The second reason it was bull was more obvious.

My parents didn't die in a car crash.

We'll, maybe they did, but that wasn't why they died.

Now _that_ was traumatising.

Then there was all that stuff afterwards...

I was pulled out of my thoughts by the guy behind me tapping my shoulder. I turned my head so he was in my peripheral vision, and so he knew he had my attention.

"You came to school with Yukari-San this morning, right?" he asked. "I saw you two walking together."

I nodded. "Hey, I have a question." he whispered. "Do you know if she has a boyfriend?"

I realised what this guy was getting at. He was a cowardly chap who couldn't gather the scrotum needed to ask a girl out.

Then I remembered I was in Japan, that's supposed to be normal.

Deciding to do the guy a favour, I shrugged.

"I see. I thought you might know, but... I guess not. ...So, how well do you know her?"

I was about to tell the guy that I only got into the country yesterday, but a teacher told us to be quiet. I shut up, but I could still hear people talking. I didn't waste my breath trying to shut them up.

Holy crap that sounds totally emo and 'I hate everyone'. I got enough of that back home because of my hair. Naturally blue, I grew it over one side to hide my scar from the accident, then grew it over my face because I thought it looked cool.

Actually, I reckon I really did it so it was harder to see my face. People stopped being concerned, going from thinking I have depression to just thinking I was a whiny emo brat.

I was fine with that, so long as I didn't actually become a whiny emo brat.

* * *

After the assembly, we went to our classrooms. I picked a seat right in the middle, it's the one place teachers ignore.

The studious kids sat at the front, the trouble makers at the back, the daydreamers by the windows and the kids who didn't want to be there were on the right hand side of the classroom, near the exit.

Junpei sat next to me, on the right (surprise surprise), though Kenji opted for a seat closer to the back. Surprisingly, Yukari sat in front of me, behind the person front and centre.

From our conversation earlier, I gathered that she liked school, but I thought she just had a haggle of friends. She actually seems serious about getting some qualifications. I could tell that Yukari was paying attention as Ms. Toriumi spoke, while Junpei's mind seemed elsewhere.

* * *

I was pretty tired around ten-ish, body thinking it was two in the morning, so I decided to catch some sleep. It was in the home room all day, and since I always looked half asleep, I figured I'd be fine as long as I didn't snore. I leaned forward on the desk and looked towards the windows on my left, resting my jaw on my palm.

Now I remembered why I grew my hair down my face. Teachers couldn't tell if I was sleeping or distracted.

* * *

"Yo, yatsu ha mezame tekudasai."

Huh, what? Not now. Sleeping. Wake me and die.

"Yatsu, gakkou over, everyone's leaving."

My brain shifted into gear and comprehended what was just said, and I was awake.

Another skill I learnt in school, I could go from groggy to wide awake instantly without any noticeable change. Other lads could pull it off too, but I turned sleeping in class into an art form.

"Dude, you were out like a light all day." the stealer of sleep continued. "Man, what were you doing last night?"

I turned to face the fool who dared disturb my slumber. Junpei. "I got into the country yesterday," I snarled, but the throat wasn't capable of producing the menace I was thinking of. "Body clock still out of wack." Damn Japanese language.

"Oh, right." he nodded. "What's the time difference over there?" Junpei didn't actually seem that interested in me, it felt like he was just being polite so he could talk with someone.

I leaned back in my seat and rotated my shoulders. "Japan's about seven hours ahead, so I should be getting up around now anyways…" My neck made a popping noise, and it hurt a bit. Was that bad?

Junpei flinched. At the time difference, not the neck pop. "Damn, no wonder you look wrecked."

Yukari twisted back in her seat to face him. "At it again, huh?" she complained. "I swear, you'll talk to anyone who'll listen."

Junpei turned to her with a smile. "Hey, it's Yuka-tan!" he shouted pleasantly. "Didn't think we'd be in the same class again this year."

Yukari sighed. "Don't you think you might be bothering someone?" she asked. "And for the record, apparently he always looks like that."

"I told you that?" I asked her.

She raised an eyebrow. "On the way to the station, you were explaining why you weren't a fan of coffee."

"Oh yeah..." I remembered. I usually don't pay much attention to what I'm saying. Again, Listener. It's a habit I need to get out of.

Junpei turned to me with surprise plastered all over his face. "Seriously?" he asked in shock "Dude, you're clearly not drinking enough."

"If you say so." Yukari sighed, turning to me, "Anyways, looks like we're in the same homeroom..."

"Aye," I was still fairly tired and was slipping into English, so I corrected myself. "That's good."

Yukari smiled. "Yeah, tough being the new kid without anyone you know."

Junpei looked mildly offended. "Um, Hello? Are you forgetting that I'm in this class too?" His expression changed to a smirk as he slid between us, leaning on my desk. "By the way…" He began, looking fairly mischievous, if malevolent. Oh, this will not end well. "I heard you two came to school together this morning. What's up with that? Come on, gimme the dirt!"

Wait, that's it? Wow, this school really bought into the whole 'mysterious transfer student' Trope quick, didn't they?

Yukari looked shocked and leant back. "W-What're you talking about? We live in the same dorm!"

It seemed natural logic to me that two people with the same origin and destination would travel together, but Asians have weird logic. "There's nothing going on, okay?" Yukari insisted.

Yep, good old perverse Japan. "Why are people even talking about it?"

Only the Japanese would automatically assume a relationship from that, unless we were holding hands or actually flirting, which we weren't.

Give me some credit. I'm subtle.

Yukari sighed, "Now you have me worried…" She turned back to me, rant apparently over. "Hey… You didn't say anything to anyone about…" She hesitated, remembering Junpei was part of the conversation, "You know what, did you?"

While that sounded slightly suspicious out of context, it sounded more like a secret than something sexual, even for Junpei, so I shook my head. "Nope."

"Okay, Good." Yukari leaned on my desk, coming closer to me and lowering her voice. "Seriously… Don't say anything about last night, alright?"

Okay, I take that back. There is no way that anyone on the planet would interpret that as anything other than me sleeping with her. Junpei actually jumped to his feet in shock. Yukari looked at him, "Wh-What?"

Junpei stammered. "L-last night..?"

Yukari jumped to her feet with rage and indignation. "W-WAIT A MINUTE!" She shouted. "Don't get the wrong idea!"

I considered helping her, I really did, but I reckoned anyone stupid enough to say that in front of a school boy, much less a Japanese one who thinks you're in a relationship with the person you said it to, deserved what they got.

I like to think I'm an easygoing guy, but some things just don't deserve forgiveness.

I mean, really. Come on. She brought it on herself.

Junpei turned to me, holding out his hand for a five, "Dude, You Brits got skills!", he grinned, but Yukari slapped his wrist away

"Listen!" she shouted. "I just met him yesterday, and there's absolutely nothing between us!"

Wait, what?

Realising the severity of what had happened, I made a mental note to strangle Junpei in his sleep. Dammit, I should have helped her!

"Geez..." Yukari sighed, calming down. "I've gotta go. I've got something to take care of for the archery team. But, you better not start any rumours!"

With that, she stormed off. Once she was gone, Junpei turned back to me, holding his palms in the air in a shrug. "Ah, who cares, no-one takes rumours seriously anyways." He let his hands fall down to his sides. "Sheesh, she's so paranoid… Say…" He said, leaning on my desk with one hand. _"Is there anything going on between you two?"_

Not anymore now that Junpei had got Yukari to deny any possibility of it, but I decided to let him off easy, shaking my head. I was still annoyed, but hey, I promised myself to wait until he was asleep before killing him.

Promises are important, after all.

"Ah, well." Junpei sighed, disappointed. "But hey! It's your first day here, and people are already talking about you. Believe it or not, she's actually pretty popular. Even if you just walked to school with her, you da man!"

Really? For walking to school with an, admittedly, cute girl?

That was all it took to be admired in this school?

If that was Japan's minimum threshold for badassery...

Well, let's just say I made myself another promise, shall we?

* * *

Junpei ended up walking home with me until we could see the dorm. "See ya!" he shouted, setting off in the opposite direction.

I could tell his house was nowhere near here, and judging from his pace, he was in no rush to get home.

That ruled out being clingy and brought forward a second, more serious theory.

Sigh.

This bleeding heart of mine is gonna kill me one of these days.

Then again, I wouldn't have it any other way.

I ended up following him. Then asking him to come with me to get some stuff as an excuse to spend more time with him. He seemed delighted, but hid it badly under a groan. "Alright then, if you really need my help."

He didn't fool me, and I think he knew it, but I didn't mind. Like I said, I tend to put other people before myself.

* * *

I was pretty tired, and really wanted some actual sleep. That nap I got at school only made me even more tired, but I kept myself going.

We ended up going to Paulownia mall to buy some stuff I didn't think to pack, mostly Tupperware containers and a label maker. Apparently, if I want to keep food in a dorm, I need to label everything.

I didn't have the heart to tell him my room had a mini fridge.

We ended up going to some music, so I could get some 'actual' music. Apparently my music collection was lacking, but I couldn't get Junpei to appreciate the classics.

You know, Zeppelin, AC/DC, Marley, Nirvana, Meatloaf, Chilli's, Blink 182 and Clapton weren't good enough. I already had a few J-Rock bands as well; Nightmare, Asian Kung-Fu Generation, Black Mages, but Junpei made me endure listening to J-Pop for almost half an hour. Actually, Lotus Juice weren't that bad, so I got that.

We eventually grabbed a pastry from the Coffee shop and went our separate ways. Having done my good deed for the day, I headed back to the dorm that would be my home for the next couple of years, chewing on my Danish and humming along to the song I just bought. _"Buurnnnn Myyyyy Dreeaad…"_

Damn, this was a pretty damn awesome song. Mental note, play this when I'm on my deathbed.

_

* * *

_

When I got back to the dorm, it was already dark. I noticed Mitsuru sitting on the couch, reading. I didn't catch the title, but I saw it was in French. Noticing me, she nodded "Welcome back."

"Evening." I muttered, slipping my shoes off and noticing the rack that some people were using. Why didn't I see that yesterday?

Right. Creepy contract child and, of course, the lovely Yukari- student by day, gunman by night!

Noticing my drooping posture, Mitsuru closed her book on her thumb and smiled knowingly. "You must be tired. Go get some sleep, you've got school tomorrow."

I turned around to look at her, but she was already back inside her book.

I decided to take her advice.

I passed a confident looking guy, probably a year older than me despite his grey hair. Must be bleached, or something.

Meh, I have blue hair, who am I to judge?

He nodded at me, saying hey.

I was too tired to do anything but nod dumbly back. It's annoying to know you looked like an idiot, but would look even more like an idiot if you went back and tried to rectify it.

Meh.

He didn't notice my meaningless dilemma and walked up to the coat hangers, slinging a jacket over his shoulder. He didn't put it on; he just held it by the collar and over his shoulder. "I'm going out for a bit." He declared, presumably to Mitsuru.

"Hm?" Mitsuru asked, barely looking up from her book.

The older lad walked towards the door. "Didn't you see the newspaper?" he asked. "There's a lot going on."

I smiled as I went upstairs. Gray hair was most likely going out for a scrap. I'd follow him next time; I could do with some action.

No, right now I need sleep.

So I walked into my room and got changed. I had just enough energy left to pack away the stuff I bought, putting the CD on the desk so I'd remember to copy it in the morning, and went to bed. I was out when my head it the pillow.


	3. Rebuild 003

I felt much better the next day having actually got some decent sleep.

Actually, I felt great. It was probably the fact that Coffin Time happens at midnight, giving me an extra hour to sleep, but that didn't change the fact that I got up a half an hour before my alarm.

So, I took my time, and decided to make myself an omelette after my shower.

Humming to myself, I saw the grey haired guy from last night, and he looked knackered. Not tired, like I normally do, but positively drained.

Must have been some fight. Pity I missed it.

As the half-conscious albino staggered into the shower, I looked at the ingredients I had left and, pulling out a second frying pan, decided to do my good deed of the day early.

* * *

The older guy came out of the shower after a few minutes, towelling his hair but looking alert. He saw me cooking and sniffed. "Smells good."

I turned around and passed him the first omelette. "You look like hell," I told him, sliding the second omelette onto my plate before he got chance to refuse.

Passing him a fork, he smiled and accepted. "Thanks."

As we ate, we got talking, me doing the listening as usual. His name as Akihiko Sanada, and was in the room opposite mine. He was a boxer, and had lived in the dorm since middle school, around the same time Mitsuru moved there.

From the way he didn't talk about his family, and the fact that he moved to this dorm from another dorm, I deduced that he didn't have one. I turned out to be right, as he told me as he opened up more and more.

He flat out denied that he'd been in a fight the previous night, and I understood why. If the captain of the boxing team in _any_ school got caught street fighting, he'd get kicked out before he could claim self-defence.

Yukari came down the stairs, and I mentally kicked myself for not making another two omelettes. Thankfully, we'd already eaten the evidence so hopefully she wouldn't comment on the smell of eggs in the air.

"Senpai?" she asked Akihiko. "Don't you normally have your morning jog right about now?"

I realised why he woke up so early as he frantically checked his watch. "Huh? Dammit!" He rushed out the door, grabbing his jacket. "Thanksforbreakfast!"

I cleared up the plates and dumped the dishes in the sink for later. "Breakfast?" Yukari asked.

Damn.

Know what? I think I'll wash those dishes now. "I got up early so I decided to make myself an omelette." I explained, turning on the tap and looking for the washing-up-liquid. "Akihiko looked like hell so I made him one too."

"So you two are that close already?" Mitsuru asked, walking down the stairs, looking beautiful as ever.

Initially, I was confused by what she said, and I realised that I forgot the honorific. "Ah, sorry, I keep forgetting that." I laughed, explaining that honorific's were next to obsolete back home so I wasn't used to them yet.

Mitsuru chuckled, saying I'd get used to it.

Which, of course, meant that I'd better start remembering.

Scary lady.

"A-anyway," Yukari started- Yukari _San_ started, "Mitsuru Senpai and I both have practice to go to, so I'll see you at school."

"Okay, sure." Practice?

"I am the captain of the fencing team and student council president." Mitsuru explained. "And Takeba's in the archery club."

I nodded, noting their use of honorifics, confirming my theory on their relationship. "And Akihiko Senpai is captain of the Boxing team."

Yukari nodded. "That's right." She noticed the clock. "Oh, shoot, we're gonna be late!"

Mitsuru nodded, picking up a second bag. "I'll take Akihiko's schoolbag to him." She decided. "I'll see you later Arisoto." The two walked to the door as Mitsuru continued. "Remember to lock the door when you leave."

I nod, placing the dried plates and pans back in the cupboard. I went upstairs to grab my laptop so I could copy my music while I made my lunch.

* * *

I'm not exactly confident with my Japanese cooking, since I barely know what Udon is. It's the one like pizza, right? No, no that's okonomiyaki.

...right?

Whatever. I opted for a good old BLT, **Like a man would**.

Since I was feeling generous again, I made a few extra, just in case. Everyone loves a good BLT. I dare you to disagree.

I checked my Email's as I washed up AGAIN, and I replied to my Aunt and Uncle, telling them that I was settling in fine and making friends. I considered asking them to send my guitar, but I didn't want it damaged.

…

Ah, to hell with it, I loved my axe, but not enough to let it gather dust for a couple of years just to keep it in mint condition. Stressing the need for lots of bubble wrap in my mail, clicked send and closed down my machine. Checking everything was in place, I set off for school, remembering to lock the door behind me.

Wait, isn't meat expensive in Japan? Especially beef and bacon?

... Japan is tricky.

I need a scapegoat.

* * *

As I approached the school gates, I heard some girls talking. "Anataha kiki mashitaka the rumour?"

I only heard the last part by chance, recognising it only because we said the word 'Rumour' so much yesterday. I decided to listen, just in case it was about me and Yukari. San, SAN DAMMIT!

"Oh, um… Something about a… Bathroom?"

I was just about to breathe a sigh of relief when the first girl spoke again, "No, not that one! I mean the one about the first-year student! Not only did she stop coming to school, she does nothing but sit and stare at the walls all day. If her mother tries to talk to her, she only mutters to herself, "It's coming... It's coming...!"

"Huh," the second girl replied. "How about that?"

"You don't believe me?" The first girl seemed offended, but I could tell she didn't believe a word of it herself.

Sighing, I made my way inside the school.

* * *

Not much happened through the rest of the school day. Junpei-kun forgot his lunch, so I passed him one of my sarnies. He looked at me like I'd just offered him a kidney. Yukari san took one of my spares, saying I owed her for not making breakfast. We had a good laugh with that, especially when we saw Junpei-kun's face.

Throughout the afternoon, the only eventful thing that happened was Ms. Toriumi asked Junpei-kun who her favourite author was. Most likely because she didn't think he was listening, because she told us a few seconds ago. I wrote down the answer on my page, and thankfully Junpei-kun saw it and gave the right answer. Ms. Toriumi was impressed, and carried on thinking Junpei-kun was listening.

"Thanks man, you saved my bacon again." He whispered to me, grinning from his pun.

Somewhere in the world, two drums and a cymbal fell of a cliff.

Ba-dum-_ching!_

Outside my head, I just shrugged. "Pay attention next time."

* * *

I considered hanging out with Junpei after school again, but he'd already left with Kenji-kun. Yukari-san had Archery club again, so here I was alone.

I considered going out and socialising, but I really wasn't in the mood, so I reckoned I'd walk the scenic route back to the dorms, learn the lay of the land.

I had to admit, it was a nice city. No-one tried to mug me or anything.

I almost sighed; these guys didn't know how good they had it, a city that's actually nice.

I walked past some guys harassing some other kid and smiled inside. They didn't even have any knives. Deciding I could use the exercise, I walked down the alley and dropped my bag against the wall.

* * *

Later I was coming out of the bathroom in some fast-food place called Wild-Duck-Burger, having just washed the blood from my knuckles.

Oh, don't worry, I didn't go overboard. Hell, I didn't even mean to break the poor blighter's nose.

Actually, I smashed my knee into that one guy in the face, so that was expected, but the other three went down after only a couple of punches.

Okay, so one of them got elbowed. Twice. Once in the neck. But only as punishment for being stupid enough to pause in the fight to gawk at his mate with the broken nose.

Fine then, I went overboard, but come on, how can you expect to extort money from someone if you can't actually brawl? These kids must spend all their time stealing candy from babies or something, that's the only possible explanation.

I took my seat with the guys I saved. They were buying me a meal as thanks, which was pretty damn nice, until I noticed that they'd ordered Fat American size. The fries were served in a small bucket, and the milkshake was a couple of litres at least. As for the burger, well, let's just say that it'd be a challenge, even for me. In another lifetime it could have served as inspiration for a certain dome in S.t Peter's Basilica. Probably did.

Once again, I didn't talk much for the conversation (the meal was freakin' massive! I took a picture, even!). I eventually made my way through the burger, and noticed that I still had my bucket of fries and drink. Then one of my new mates (I hadn't bothered to learn their names) asked me the important question.

"So, um… Where did you learn martial arts?"

The other two were silent and turned to face me. Obviously they wanted to kick the crap out of people, and I knew enough that they were the last kind of people you want to teach martial arts to, at least not until _after _you teach them self discipline, so I told the truth.

"Didn't."

The guys were shocked, as if I'd announced I was a wizard. "But, you fought those guys-"

I put down my drink and looked him in the eye. "Fighting is not Martial arts. Martial arts are about form, discipline, theory and art. When I fight, it's not because I trained to become the strongest, or because I know techniques. I learnt to fight like that because people are less likely to kick your head in if they think you're a bloody ninja." I actually used the literal translation of bloody by accident there, but it seemed to make my point more effective. "I'm not strong, so I'm fast, brutal and devastating. That impresses people, makes them leave me alone." I decided that I'd talked enough for now, and went back to my fries. They'd be great if they weren't so greasy.

"But- But you came to help us…"

I shrugged. "Hardly, those guys were posers." The three of them just stared at me, so I elaborated. "If you grew up where I did, you'd recognise them a mile off, slam their heads against the wall and take their wallets. They've never been in a real fight. They've never threatened someone at knifepoint and meant it, or thrown a half brick at a copper. Never been gouged by a broken bottle, broke a chair on someone's back, thrown a petrol bomb at someone's car, or got drunk and started a riot." I realise I was talking far more that I normally did, but I really wanted to get this point across, and they were getting it despite my accent.

"That's what the bad kids are like where I'm from." I explained. "Most schoolyard punch ups end with a knife wound, guys get shot for being the wrong colour, Hell, I've seen a ten year old kid threaten a policeman with a meat cleaver once." I looked up, and took satisfaction from their scared faces.

Now, to be fair, I was talking about the chav's down in London, while I was from Yorkshire. While Leeds and Manchester was no Utah, it made the capital city look like hell in comparison.

Actually, it's a pretty accurate description. The rougher parts of London are pretty scary places.

I stood up, folding my fries into a smaller box. "Look, you want to be able to win in fights?" They nodded. "Push-ups, Sit ups, Study the Jason Bourne trilogy during your breaks and learn to take a freaking beating. You're not made of glass, pain is just your body telling you that your body is working. Lose your fear, both of getting hurt and hurting the other guy. Don't hold back, and fight with each other. Do it right and you'll learn to read people and their movements. Punch _through_ your target, practice using your elbows and knees, and most of all, don't think about getting out of there alive." I could see their eyes sparkling already. I threw my satchel over my shoulder. "Bare yourself to your enemy, let him graze your skin so you can pound his flesh. Let him pound your flesh while you break his bones. Let him break your bones while you kick his ass." Oh yeah, Bruce Lee was badass. "There are no rules to a fight; just because you surrender doesn't mean he'll stop. Likewise, anything goes, but avoid the eyes and balls. You don't want someone's blindness on your conscience, and just because it hurts doesn't mean it does damage." I picked up my drink and began walking for the door. "Oh, and thanks for the meal."

* * *

The fries and drink lasted me all the way to the dorm, even though it was evening by the time I got back. When I got in, Yukari-san was sitting on the couch, talking to some older chap in a mullet. "Oh," she said, noticing me as I came through the door, "He's back."

"So, this is our new guest…" Mullet smiled as I slipped my shoes off.

As they both stood up, he automatically struck me as creepy, but I had learnt to ignore first impressions. As Yukari had proved, they were usually wrong. "Good evening." Mullet introduced. "My name is Shuji Ikutsuki. I'm the Chairman of the Board for your school. 'Ikutsuki'... Hard to say, isn't it?" he asked. Ikutsuki, nope, I can say it fine. "That's why I don't like introducing myself." Ikutsuki chuckled. "Even I get tongue-tied sometimes... Please, have a seat."

There you go, he's merely friendly boss creepy, not sexual deviant creepy.

Similar enough at first glance, but it is vital not to confuse them, or else we'd be out of school guidance councillors.

I kid. But seriously, for a second there I thought I might have to change the locks on my room, and that would have been a bit too awkward to explain on my first week here.

As we all sat down, bossman brushed himself down and started talking again. "I apologize about the confusion regarding your accommodations." He told me. "However, it may take a while longer before you receive a proper room assignment."

"I'm not complaining about staying here actually." I told him. I wasn't trying to gain some perverse pleasure from staying in a girls dorm, I just can't be arsed moving again.

"Well, this is a Co-Ed dormitory." Ikutsuki confessed. "Sanada-kun does live opposite the hall from you, so you may be able to stay here permanently if it comes to it." he pushed his glasses up his face with a smile. "Is there anything you'd like to ask?"

Plenty, but I doubt I can ask the right questions in Japanese. I was actually suspicious of his presence here, so I took a stab in the dark.

"The other night, I saw…"

The two of them jumped and I knew I hit the mark. You've probably guessed by know, but I've spent a lot of time dealing with stabs in the dark. Yukari clearly looked uncomfortable, but I had no intention of finishing my sentence. I just wanted to see how this guy would react.

"You saw something strange?" Ikutsuki asked, tilting his head back as the light reflected off his glasses. "…Like... what?"

The tilt of his head was giving me the impression that he was looking down on me, and though his voice wasn't threatening, his shoulders had tensed a bit, a sign of wariness.

Something really was off with this dorm.

Also, wow, this guy can't keep a secret.

"Nothing…" I yawned, feigning ignorance. "I was probably just tired…" It was best to play it cool until I had all the cards, after all. Like I said, I was a good liar as well as an observant and manipulative blighter.

There was no way in hell that he would believe that I saw nothing. But any idiot can tell that I saw _something_, but don't want to talk about it. Whatever's going on, he knows I know about it, but this delays the confrontation until I can get some cards to my chest. I once won a poker game with a six of spades, three of hearts, two of clubs and a jack of diamonds, but it's hard to play poker with a 'Get Out Of Jail Free' card and something from a pack of Uno.

Besides, I always looked convincingly tired. I was just playing on my strengths.

Ikutsuki laughed. "Well, you should probably get to bed then, you're still adjusting to the time difference you know. I hope you have a successful school year." He announced, standing up. "Now, if you'll excuse me…"

Ikutsuki began to walk towards the stairs. Stopping just behind me, he added, almost as an afterthought; "You know what they say! The early bird gets the bookworm!" Ikutsuki chuckled, and I re-scored him from 'Suspicious', to 'Spawn of Satan'. "…Please forgive the bad pun." He said, as he continued towards the stairs.

Never. Anything with a bad sense of humour that bad couldn't possibly possess their own soul.

Yukari san turned to me, a mix of a sigh, embarrassment, and contempt on her face. "Ugh… You get used to his lame jokes."

I hope not. I mean, I know I'm a nutjob, but I still have _standards_.

* * *

I checked my Email again as I walked up the stairs to bed. Uncle agreed to send me my guitar as well as some other stuff, which was handy. I closed it down and got changed. I felt like I was being watched somehow, but I knew I was just being paranoid. Once again, I was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

I dreamed of a softly flashing light, of lavender, both the colour and the soothing smell, and single voice speaking through the serenity.

* * *

"Welcome to the Velvet Room, my dear young man…"


	4. Rebuild 004

I found myself in a large blue room, with a chain fence for a back wall.

Judging from the lights moving downwards behind the fence and the spinning dial above it, I decided I was in some kind of lift.

Ascending into madness. Now that's new.

For some reason, I was now sitting in a pretty weird chair at a table, and on the other side is a man sitting on the pimpingest seat I have ever seen.

As awesome as the chair was, though, it didn't even compare to the man himself.

The man didn't seem exactly human. His nose was long, his grin wide, and his eyes looked like he'd been sniffing adrenalin. His white, balding hair revealed pointed ears, but the thing that struck me most was his voice. It was creepy, yet inviting, and dripping in awesome.

"My name is Igor…" He told me. "I am deLighted to make, your acquaintance…" He gestured to the blonde standing on his left, her blue uniform camouflaging her in this room. "This, is, Elizabeth. She's a resident here, like myself."

The girl nodded. "Pleased to meet you."

Igor looked straight at me, smiling. "This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter…" he chuckled. "It's been _years_ since we've had a guest. Now…"

Igor waved his hand, and the red book from the other night appeared on the table, opening itself. I checked the contract again. _'I, Minato Arisoto, give my word that I will take full responsibility for the consequences of my decisions.'_

Igor continued to speak; "Only those who have signed the contract can enter this place… Henceforth, you shall be welcome here in the Velvet Room."

I nodded, wondering where that music was coming from. Wherever it was from, it was damned appropriate. "You are destined to hone your unique ability, and you will require my assistance to do so." Igor continued. "I only ask one thing in return..." I looked at Igor, all attention on him. "That you abide by the contract, and assume responsibility for the choices you make."

Now, this was something I'd been brought up to do, and accepting consequences for my actions was second nature to me. Since he was actually going as far as to bind me to a contract, I reckon that I was gonna have to accept some big responsibility for some big choices in the near future.

Either that or this Igor dealt with some shady characters. Either way, I nodded. "I intended on doing that anyway." I told him. "My turn." I noticed we are speaking in English, so I felt more comfortable speaking. Looking intently at Igor, I asked him, "You said that this place is between dream and reality, but aren't I asleep? That makes this a dream doesn't it?"

Igor laughed, not unkindly. "Precisely," He replied, his smile spreading, "You are fast asleep in the real world as we speak. This visit of yours is merely a dream. However, you will come here of your own accord sooner or later."

I leaned back in my chair, taking care not to fall off. "And how do I do that?"

"Ah, I see you like to be in control, my young guest." Igor smiled, and pulled something out of his pocket. "Hold on to this…" he told me as said hand began to glow.

Then my hand glowed, and a dark blue key appeared in my hand. I looked up to speak, but Igor merely waved.

"'Till we meet again…"

* * *

My eyes opened wide, and I was back in bed.

It was morning already, so I got up, rubbing my eyes.

Then I noticed I was still holding the key from my dream.

Yep, things can only get awesome from here.

Realising that once again I'd woken up before my alarm, I decided to do some sit ups before breakfast, opting for cereal today.

Wait, didn't I set my alarm for _before_ half eight?

Oh crap I'm late.

* * *

And because I was late, I met up with Junpei on the train.

"What's up Minato-kun?" he laughed, slapping me on the back.

Junpei-kun was ecstatic about something, "Man, today is a _perfect_ day!" he declared happily. "The sky is blue, the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and we're young, what more can we ask for?"

"Sleep." I told him.

"Dude, I'm not sick." he growled, before cheering up. "Forget the old Junpei, This is the _real_ me! You should cheer up too man. After all, you've got ME as a friend!"

"Not what I meant. There'd be less war if people slept more mate."

"Oh yeah?"

* * *

We discussed my 'theory' on sleep deprivation and aggression on the way to school. Junpei-kun had an equally inane theory about the relationship between this Apathy Syndrome and homework. Both theories were equally ridiculous, but I won the straight face contest.

Oh, right, Apathy Syndrome. It's a disease of some sort that's going around this part of Japan. Perfectly normal people just lose the will to do anything other than lie against the wall and moan, like some kind of super-depression. Marina taunted that I'd catch it within a week. I doubt it, I'm not getting depression any time soon.

* * *

I slept through Mr. Ekoda's lesson today to prevent war.

I wasn't actually that tired, but the book he had us reading was utter crap. He said it was the origin of Japanese Literature, but it made less sense than Tolkien.

Actually, Lord of the Rings was good, but made no sense first time round. I made a note to slip a Japanese copy of Towers into class next Thursday. It'd probably be easier and safer to slip in something else like Pride and Prejudice, or Mice and Men, but I like to follow through on my ideas.

Also, Gimli is badass. I need to quote him next time someone asks for my name.

* * *

Hoping I might get chance to check out that Velvet Room again, I went to bed fairly early.

I couldn't sleep, so I tried to wear myself out with some push ups and sit ups, but I still couldn't sleep.

Getting bored, I pulled a shortsword from under my bed and practiced my swings.

You may be wondering, 'Hey, why the hell does he have a sword?' and I won't blame you. I actually did my Work Experience with a blacksmiths a few years ago, and he helped me make it.

It wasn't that good, light, strong or sharp, but it was good for the muscle training. I've seen someone use a lead pipe in a fight once, so I made a point in learning how to use various weapons in case I needed to adapt an impromptu weapon, though I couldn't learn how to use firearms due to health and safety laws (Boring), and knives, well, they were too easy to carry around, I didn't want to just depend on them in fights.

Yeah, I carry a Leatherman Multitool around, but when I don't want blood on my hands, I'm strict on my self-imposed 'No Knives' rule. It's about the only rule I have in fights.

* * *

I ended up getting to sleep around eleven, but a loud noise woke me up while it was still dark. I glanced out the window, and saw everything was still frozen in Coffin Time.

Now, what could make a noise like that, during this specific time?

Something worth investigating.

I pulled my trousers on and buttoned up my shirt, and was just about to put my school jacket on (leaving my tie, if you call it that, in my pocket) when someone tried to smash the door down.

"WAKE UP!" Yukari shouted, clearly terrified about something; "Sorry, I'm coming in!"

With that, she opened the door with a sword in her hand, red armband on her arm and a gun on her thigh.

Good thing I got dressed already, huh? She looked in such a panic that I didn't even consider how she'd opened my locked door. "I don't have time to explain," She told in a rush, walking towards me, "But we have to get out of here, Now!"

"Fair enough," I replied, but I'm not sure she heard me as the building shook again.

That wasn't an earthquake- something actually had impacted against the dorm. What the hell is going on?

There was an increase in the urgency of her voice this time; "Hurry! Downstairs! We'll leave through the back door!"

She turned to leave, but almost as an after thought, she offered me the sword. "Take this." she told me, her other hand hovering over the gun.

While not the best quality weapon, it was a decent blade. I knew that Yukari was scared of it; clearly she wasn't comfortable with either weapon.

However, I could also tell that she was even more terrified of the situation. "Keep it" I said, reaching for my blunt, heavy, useless iron bar shaped like a sword, "I'll use this."

Anyone who knew their swords could tell that I was making sure that she had the better weapon, and she seemed to recognise this. "T-thanks." she told me. Frankly, having a better weapon means nothing if you can't use it, but if it calms her down then there's less chance of me dealing with a panicking gunwoman while fighting for my life, if it comes to it.

However, I only took the blunt weapon so she couldn't guilt me into taking her sword; I had no intention of fighting with it.

If it came to that. I'm not sure I can take something that can make a building shake like this, but if someone, most likely Mitsuru and Akihiko, are fighting it from outside, then I reckon I can climb up its back while they distract it and stab its head in.

And now I'm hypothesising about fighting monsters. Well, at least madness is useful during mad times.

The building shook again, and we remembered what we were supposed to be doing. Running.

We started making up for lost time, and legged it.

"Q-Quick!" Yukari shouted, running down the hallway. "Downstairs!"

* * *

We ran down the stairs and reached the back door. Yukari stopped to catch her breath, but I was fine.

Appears that I'm in better shape that I thought.

"Alright, we should be safe now-" Yukari panted, but stopped. From her facial expressions, someone's talking to her.

"Y-yes! I hear you!" she replied. Ear piece and walkie talkie most likely. I tried to figure out what the person on the other end was telling her, but judging from her expression and her "WHAT?" it couldn't have been good. It probably had something to do with the fact that someone's trying to smash the door down.

I ran to the table to grab a chair and propped it under the door handle to brace it. Yeah, we're not going anywhere in this direction.

Yukari desperately tried to regain control of the situation, "L-lets pull back!"

* * *

We both ran up the stairs to the second floor, and the building continued to shake. Yukari was clearly in a panic. "What're we going to do..?"

Then we heard the slithers below us.

I was hoping we were up against a single large beastie, but something that can fit inside is either too small to make the building shake, or is too strong for me to kill.

"They're downstairs!" Yukari gasped, grabbing my wrist and pulling me up the stairs. "W-We gotta go further up!"

As we continued up the stairs, I could see that this wasn't the brightest of all escapes. For one thing, we're gonna to end up cornered at the top floor, unless there was a heli pad on the roof.

Or a fire escape I suppose. Maybe a ladder or something we can use as a bridge, but I'd prefer a Black Hawk.

It's amazing how lucid my thoughts are at this moment. I guess I'm better under pressure than I thought. I barely feel like pissing myself from abject terror at all!

Focus on surviving, Minato. Focus.

"I-it's getting closer!" Yukari shouted in a panic. "HURRY!"

* * *

We eventually reached the top floor, which consisted of a steel door. "O-oh yeah," Yukari said, panting for breath as she typed in the code to open it. "We should be safe through there…"

We went through the iron door to the open roof, and Yukari locked it behind us. She leaned back against it and sighed in relief. "Alright, we should be safe now-"

As if to spite her, the building shook again, and I realised just how safe we were not.

A blue mask poked over the edge of the building, held by a black hand. A massive hand, with a palm the size of a snow shovel.

The hand turned it left, then right, as if it was trying to see.

Then the mask turned to face me.

It moved forward a few inches as if to get a better look at me, when another hand reached up to pull itself onto the roof. The bulk rose, and I was too stunned to even swear.

It wasn't even… anything. It was just a writhing mass of limbs, all arms flailing as it steadied itself, its mask held aloft above it like a crown. I could make out the black hands scraping for hold on the roof and waving in the air, but the rest of it was black shadow. It was just a blot of darkness in the sickly glow of Coffin Time.

Okay, I've read a lot, I'm a big fan of the good Doctor and Warhammer and everything, so I've pictured things like this, but seeing it, actually for real? To see with my own eyes what went Bump In The Night?

Oh hell no. What the hell have I gotten myself into this time?

After the initial shock, I began to come up with a plan of attack.

Then the bloody asshole pulled out half a dozen swords, each bigger than me.

"Oh Bloody Hell No." I gasped, when the monster began crawling towards us. "...terrific."

I took a few involuntary steps back, raising my useless iron bar as Yukari spoke.

"Those monsters, we call them Shadows…" Yukari explained, standing up and drawing the gun.

She put it on her forehead.

She pulled the trigger, and there was a surge of light. What looked like several pillars of energy shot up, and the wind whipped around us furiously.

Yukari gasped, scared and panicking, and pulled the trigger again, to the same effect as I stared in shock.

"Eh?"

The monster- the Shadow didn't seem to care though- it just shot out and knocked her aside with a bare hand.

"YUKARI!" I shouted, stepping out to help her as the shadow turned to face me. "oh bugger."

Obviously, I was terrified.

I stepped back away from this thing.

I didn't want to show fear, I knew I needed to do something or we were _both_ going to die, but I was doing all I could just to stop myself wearing brown trousers.

Come on, you're at your best when the pressure's about to crush you! Think, Minato boy!

Wait, why didn't she die?

Why did the monster attack her with a bare hand when it has all those swords?

_Because it doesn't care about her._

Then I noticed Yukari's gun on the floor, by my feet.

It looked like a small calibre handgun, but looking at it, there was no magazine slot; it couldn't be loaded.

I had a vision of that creepy kid from the other night. "Go on…" he told me, his hand pointing its finger at the side of his head.

_It wants the guy that beat down its mate ten years ago._

I didn't need to be told twice.

Bending down, I picked up the gun, holding it in my hands.

It was cold, despite the wooden stock.

It was heavy.

I remembered Yukari putting the gun to her head.

I flinched and my heart raced faster as I remembered her pulling the trigger.

I calmed myself down, and with the composure of a chess player moving a queen into checkmate, I slowly lifted the gun to my temple.

I stared into the expressionless mask of the Shadow.

My blood was coursing through my body, I was breathing like I'd just run a marathon.

My back was drenched in cold sweat.

A trickle of blood ran into my eye.

'_I, Minato Arisoto, give my word that I will take full responsibility for the consequences of my decisions.'_

…

As the words formed in my head I smiled. Igor was an asshole.

"Per…So…Na…"

I pulled the trigger without flinching.


	5. Rebuild 005

I felt an ice-cold bullet fly through my skull, but instead of blood, blue glass and mist flew from the other side.

I didn't know why my right hand was holding the gun into the air, nor why there was a whirlwind of blue glass and light flying around me, or even why I was enjoying this so much, but I grinned as I spoke the most badass words of my entire life, even though I wasn't the only one speaking it.

**_THOU ART I_**

**_AND I AM THOU_**

**_FROM THE SEA OF THY SOUL, I COMETH_**

**_I AM ORPHEUS, MASTER OF STRINGS  
_**

The being behind me screamed, no, Roared in rage as I grinned.

This was the most unreal, badass moment of my life, my crowning moment of awesome, even more awesome that that time I-

"Uwagh..!" I clutched my head and fell to my knees, my skull HURT DAMMIT! Like an axe smashing your skull from the inside! Orpheus screamed in pain, and I twisted around to see him spazzing out as a pair of white arms worked their way out of its mouth.

Suddenly, the arms stretched apart as Orpheus was ripped to pieces from the inside, and I spat blood out of my mouth.

Floating there instead was a larger being, dressed in black with a a helmet like a bleached dinosaur skull, dead-white and savage.

I couldn't see its face, but I could see the chain of coffins floating around its neck.

It roared with rage, hate, and… _hunger_ as it drew a sword and flew into the air, lunging for the Shadow.

I rolled over to see the Shadow get into some screwed-up stance, but this bad boy just came down like a hurricane, slicing the Shadows mask in two.

I got up as Thanatos – don't ask me why I knew its name, but I did- ripped the Sshadow's body limb from limb. I could hear Yukari gasp as a writhing arm landed in front of her, but I paid her no notice, as I stared at Thanatos, transfixed.

I remembered what Igor had said, about honing my power, but I had no idea that-

I stood there, blinking, and I laughed like a maniac as Thanatos roared. Persona. Shadow. Thanatos. Hell, even Igor was a clever pun. As Thanatos turned back into Orpheus, everything began to fall into place, thanks to my basic GCSE Psychology. As Orpheus vanished, I turned to check on Yukari, smiling. Jung would have loved this.

"Are you alright?" I asked her, my heart was still racing. Heck, Yukari san must think I'm a psycho now.

"Yeah, I think so." She replied, still looking worried. "Is it over..?"

As I heard the slithering behind me, I answered "Nope."

Realising I'd already dropped Yukari's Placebo, I switched the gun from my right hand to my left, and put my foot underneath the real blade, kicking it into the air.

Catching the handle, I span round to meet my enemies. They looked like smaller versions of the Shadow I- No, Thanatos just killed. They didn't have weapons, but there were a lot more of them. Charging in, I pieced together what I knew and sliced the first one in the mask.

The sword got stuck half way. Quickly, I kicked it in the face, pushing it down but losing my sword in the process.

I swung around and punched the second Shadow in the face. Grabbing the back of its head, I rammed my knee into its face, cracking the mask. I reversed the guns grip into a tonfa, but a third Shadow jumped me, pushing me against the wall.

"MINATO-KUN!"

I twisted in the Shadow's grip so I could see the mask. Seeing a gorgeous crack right between the eyes, I smashed the gun right into it, grinning as the crack grew. Pulling my Leatherman out of my pocket, I flicked out the knife and rammed it between the cracks, prising it apart.

The mask broke and black blood, no, ichor burst through the crack, drenching me in the stuff as the Shadow melted.

I ran a quick morality test as it vanished into a puddle of goop. Yep, doesn't count.

I put the knife back, blinking the blood out of my eyes as the first two mooks charged. Smiling, I span the gun on my finger, catching it and placing it to my head, bracing myself as I glared at the closest Shadow. "rrrRRARGH!" I cried out, pulling the trigger as Orpheus appeared above me.

I gotta admit, the way it crushed that Shadow with its instrument was pretty damn awesome, but I was already rushing towards the other Shadow, the one with the sword in its face.

Grabbing the sword, delivered a roundhouse with my left leg, sending the Shadows head through my weapon.

I turned around, seeing that all the Shadows were dead and that Orpheus had disappeared. I saw Yukari standing there, staring at me in sheer horror. I smiled at her as the world turned black and face decided to make friends with the ground.

While I was happy that I hadn't fallen on my sword, I'm kinda worried about what state my skull's gonna be in when I wake up…

* * *

My eyes opened and I was in a world of blue. I almost panicked, but relaxed when I heard a familiar voice.

"It's so nice to see you again."

I turned to face the sound, and saw Igor sitting there, grinning as usual.

"You became unconscious after awakening to your 'Power'." he explained. "It's nothing to worry about though, so just, _relax…_"

I shifted into a more comfortable position in my uncomfortable chair as Igor continued. "By the way… I see that it was Orpheus that heeded your calling. That power is called 'Persona'… it is a manifestation of your psyche."

I clutched my head. I said everything fell into place, but it was really a load of guesswork. And considering how sneaky Igor had proved to be, now was the perfect opportunity to milk for some information. "Persona? Psyche?" I asked him, playing the confused child perfectly "I don't understand…"

Igor laughed, "It may take some time to fully comprehend, but there's no need to act for us." I sat stock still as Igor continued. "Unlike the people in the real world, our purpose is to help _you._" He smiled at rumbling my little game. "A Persona is a facet of your personality that surfaces as you react to external stimuli. You can think of it as a mask that protects you as you brave many hardships."

"Carl Jung, right?" I asked.

Igor seemed to smile wider, if that was possible. "That is correct. However, that being said, your power is still weak."

"You mean Thanatos isn't my power yet?" I thought so, seeing as I couldn't summon him the second time.

Igor just laughed again. It seemed impossible to surprise him. Then again, if he was the manifestation of _my_ ego…

"I see you already have a goal in mind." Igor commented with amusement. "When you use your Persona ability, you must channel your inner strength. Perhaps Thanatos came about from act of killing yourself, so to speak." He chuckled.

"Your ability, however, evolves as you as you develop your Social Links-your emotional ties with others." he continued." The stronger your Social Links, the more powerful your Persona ability. Please remember that. Now, then..." Igor paused, smiling. "Time marches on in your world, I really shouldn't keep you here any longer than I already have."

"Wait, there's more I need to ask you!" I didn't care about loosing my cool here, after all the work I did to come back I was _not_ going out that easy without answers.

Igor chuckled again. "The next time we meet, you will come here of your own accord, and will leave through the same." Igor flashed me a smile as the Velvet Room was engulfed in a bright light. "Until then… Farewell…"

* * *

I opened my eyes and saw a white ceiling. I then looked left and I got a very nice view.

"Oh, you're awake." Yukari stood up from her seat, which was probably a good thing, since she hadn't noticed me looking up her skirt. "Um… How do you feel?"

As I sat up, realising I was in a hospital, and I honestly felt like I'd been buggered in the ear by a drunken cow, but I decided to use polite language.

"Like shit." I sighed. "What're you doing here?"

Yukari smiled. "Thank goodness you came to… How much sleep do you need?" she shouted, venting her frustations onto me. "You've been out for an entire week! I was so worried about you…"

I kind of gathered that from the fact that you were sitting by my bedside for about a week, but I decided not to say that, since Yukari continued "You saved my life, you know… I just couldn't leave you here."

Yukari then sat down on my bed, looking downwards, "The doctor couldn't find anything wrong with you apart from some light wounds. He just said that you were exhausted." She looked up at the ceiling. "You just kept on sleeping, and sleeping, do you have any idea how worried I was?" She turned to me mid sentence, but then looked down again. "Um… I'm sorry I couldn't do anything… Even though _I_ was supposed to be the one protecting _you_…" Yukari sighed, and looked into my eyes again, "But, your power… It was amazing! A-and the way you fought, you just wouldn't stop until it was over!"

"So, what were those things, Shadows?" I asked her, getting to business.

Yukari nodded. "They're what we're fighting against. And the power you used, we call it-"

"Persona" I interrupted her.

"Oh, Yeah, you said that just before you summoned didn't you?" she asked. "How'd you know that?"

"Honestly? I haven't the foggiest." I shrugged.

Yukari seemed a bit confused, so I guess the phrase didn't translate well into Japanese. She seemed to get the idea though, as she said "Well, We'll all explain it to you later. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before. I…"

Yukari seemed to be trying to get something off her chest. "I wanted to tell you that I'm sorta like you…"

I kinda guessed that she could also summon a Persona, but I didn't think that she was talking about that. "What do you mean?"

Yukari stood up, facing the window. "My dad died in an accident when I was little... And my mom and I aren't exactly on good terms... You're all alone too, right?" Yukari's head fell down, looking guilty. "To be honest, I already know about your past... But, it didn't seem fair, so I wanted you to know about mine..."

She seemed to be bringing up a painful memory, as she turned back towards me, still looking at the floor. "It was back in ninety-nine... There was a big explosion in the area. My dad supposedly died in the blast, but nobody really knows what happened... He was working in a lab run by the Kirijo Group."

Yukari's head rose slightly as she unloaded herself. "So I'm hoping that if I stick around long enough, I'll find out something. That's why I'm going to Gekkoukan High, and why I was there when this happened to you." Yukari laughed bitterly "...Of course, I panicked and wasn't much help... It was my first time fighting them, too." Yukari really looked dejected, almost to the point of tears. "I'm sorry... You wouldn't have to go through all this if I wasn't such a coward..."

"It's not your fault." I told her. "Hell, I was scared too."

Yukari looked directly at me. "Really? But still…"

I shook my head. "I grew up in England, remember? I was in fights all the time." I thought back to the first time someone pulled a knife on me. "It's not the first time I've fought for my life either. The only real difference was that I wasn't fighting humans. And as for the big one, well, I just pulled the trigger; I wasn't in control of that thing."

Yukari stared for a moment, and laughed. "Hah, and here I am telling you all this the moment you wake up…" She smiled. "You know, while you were sleeping, I was thinking to myself, 'I've been hiding so many things from him, when he wakes up, I'm gonna tell him the truth.' So, thanks for listening." she told me honestly. "I've wanted to share that story with someone for a long time."

"Anytime." I smiled back. I may be able to salvage this. If I do, Junpei lives.

Yukari stepped towards the door. "Alright, I'd better get going. I'll let the others know you woke up. Oh, that reminds me!" She reached down beside my bed. "While you were asleep, we called your Uncle. He said that he'd sent some more of your stuff over, but to get this box over to you quickly." She hefted up a large wooded box, wrapped in plastic, with the labels: 'Fragile', 'Keep Dry' 'Keep Cool', and 'Gibson Les Paul'. "Although, when we told him that you'd been hospitalised, he didn't seem that concerned or surprised..."

"Uncle Amos brought me up." I told her with a grin, taking the box from her and laying it on my lap. "He knows I'm made of tough stuff."

I reached into the pocket of my jacket, which was hung up on a stand by my bed, poked around for my Leatherman.

"Are you looking for this?" Yukari asked, holding out my knife. "I took it out of your pocket so the police didn't confiscate it, because of all the blood..."

"Thanks." I replied, reaching out for the knife. I flicked the blade the blade out and got to work demolishing the packaging.

"Hey, um..." Yukari hesitated, but asked anyway. "Why'd you put the knife away?" she asked. "Fighting bare-handed couldn't have been easier."

I glanced up at Yukari, then got back to work removing the guitar case from the postage packaging.

Well, she was sharing her upsetting past, right? I might as well return the favour.

"Loads of kids carried knives back home." I told her. "One of my best friends was stabbed to death."

I saw Yukari gasp and cover her mouth in shock, "I-I'm sorr-"

"Don't be." I told her. "It was his stupid fault."

Yukari's jaw dropped at my apparent cruelty towards the deceased friend. "You know what they say, those who live by the sword die by the sword."

Yukari seemed to think this over, then finally said "Wait, your friend was carrying a knife when he got stabbed?"

I nodded, pushing the packaging onto the floor, and got to work opening my guitar case. "James pulled it out first." I explained. "The other bastard started the fight, but my friend was the idiot who turned it into a knife fight."

Yukari was stunned. "So, why do-"

"This is not a knife." I answered before she asked, passing the knife to her. "See the engraving?"

"Minato Arisoto, Leatherman Wave Multitool Custom…" She read.

"That's what it is," I continued. "A tool for making life easier. Not a weapon to be used in a fight. Yeah, I used it to crack open that Shadow's mask, but I broke it with my bare hands, the blade just finished the job before it could kill me."

I'd pulled my Guitar out of the case and began playing. 'Wish You Were Here' seemed appropriate.

"Oh, okay…" Yukari seemed awkward as she passed the tool back to me. "Well, I'll see you later, I'll tell the doctor you're up."

"Thanks Yukari."

She blushed, then walked out the door.

It wasn't until I reached the first chorus when

"DAMMIT! I did it again!"

I though I had the honorific thing under control too.

…

Japan is more trouble than it's worth.

Meh, I've fought evil shadow monsters, shot myself in the head and been in a coma for a week. I figure I can get away with it this once, so I continued my song.

"_How I wish, how I wish you were here.  
We're just, two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl... year after year._  
_Running over the same old ground...  
What have you found? The same old fears?_"

_Wish you were here._


	6. Rebuild 006

Yukari caught me on the way to school the next day. I hadn't got back to the dorm yet, so I was still carrying my guitar, but no schoolbag.

Hey, at least I have my priorities straight.

"Morning," Yukari told me, reaching into her schoolbag as she set into my stride. "You seem to be doin' pretty well."

"Like you said, I was just exhausted. Takoyaki?" I offered, showing her my breakfast. Hospital food sucked, no matter where you were.

"Thanks." She replied, taking one as she offered me some books. "Thought you might be coming in today, so I went into your room and got today's books for you."

"Thanks," I replied, shoving the books under my armpit for now.

Yukari and I were in the same classes for everything, which was a small blessing in this whole mess.

Oh, that reminds me. "Hey, um, I'm sorry for forgetting the –San yesterday-"

"Hey, don't sweat it," She replied with a smile, "You weren't brought up Japanese, so I'm fine with you just dropping it all together."

That was a relief. "Same goes for you then, Yukari."

She smiled. "Sure, Minato."

"NOOOOO! IT'S NOT POSSIBLE!" A rather distraught chap ran past us, crying his eyes out. Apparently he'd just overhead that last bit.

"Odd fellow."

"Complete weirdo more like. Oh, Mitsuru senpai wants to talk to you today, so come to the fourth floor of the dorm after school, okay?"

"Sure." A thought then came to mind, probably not the most tactful question, but it would save me a lot of bother later. "Hey, how are Akihiko and Mitsuru Senpai on the whole honorific thing?"

"Probably like that actually. Akihiko senpai thinks the world of you, and Mitsuru senpai's… well…"

"Mitsuru?" I used her name as an adjective, rather than a noun.

Yukari giggled. "Yeah, that's a good description."

* * *

So, yeah. Me and Yukari had a decent conversation on the school, both of us avoiding what we really wanted to talk about (probably monsters, but I'm no mind reader), until we got to class. Mr. Ono, the samurai guy from before, was teaching about the stone man. Apparently his 'fires of youth' only burned for Japanese history, and it was boring as hell.

* * *

"Psst. Minato-kun..."

Buh, what?

"Watashi ha, anatawo taikutsu saseru desuka Arisoto-kun?"

Wide awake now, and I slowly lifted my head,

"I asked if I was boring you Arisoto-kun." a samurai in a suit asked me, a sillouette from the light he blocked out as he loomed over my desk.

"Erm… No, Ono Sensei." I replied, sitting upright and trying very hard to look interested.

"Don't lie, I'm boring everyone." He sighed. "This Stone Age is nothing to the Sengoku era, but I get paid to teach you this, so the least you can do is pay attention."

"I'm sorry sir." I told him, nodding.

Yukari raised her hand. "Sir, he just got out of hospital this morning." Hey, I'm being defended. That's a nice change to what I usually get. It also doesn't involve punching anyone's lights out, so there's another plus right there.

The teacher shook his head. "Fine then Arisoto-kun, I'll let you off if you can tell me the difference between the Palaeolithic era and the Neolithic era, since Junpei-kun couldn't tell us."

I turned to look at Junpei, who sat there looking embarrassed. While I could go down with him, I could also save my own neck, showing him up in the process.

It was a tough decision, but I made it quickly.

"How the tools were made, sir." I told him. "One used chipped stone, but the other used ground stone. Don't know which is which though."

Everyone in the class was staring at me in silence.

I only just realised how much of a swot I just sounded.

Damn.

"Correct." Ono nodded, walking past me. "I see you've been studying at home. Well, either way, they both used stone tools… ugh; I can't wait until we get to the age of Katana…"

Dammit. I dreaded the inevitable whispers that were to follow.

"Woah, answering the question after sleeping through the lesson?"

"I know, Minato-kun's really smart…"

Damnation.

"That's pretty awesome, getting one over a teacher like that."

"I know! That was so cool."

Dammit all to hell - wait, what?

"I wish I was that smart…"

"Better start studying more…"

Holy crap, I'm in a school full of geeks.

Wait, that's impossible, Junpei's an idiot.

Okay that was harsh. From what I've seen, he's not a moron like we had back home. I shuddered from the memory of that girl from my Philosophy class last year. She argued for ten minutes that Whales laid eggs, and you could get them in restaurants, a dozen of them for twenty quid. The teacher explained that she was getting mixed up with Quail's eggs. _"Same Difference"_, she said.

For the record, Whales are large, sea based mammals that give birth to live young. Quails, on the other hand, are tiny ground-bound birds that live in the desert, and lay eggs the size of marbles. In my book, that's a big difference.

...

Where was I?

Oh, right, geeks. Maybe Japan just liked smart kids or something? If England is full of idiots, where the biggest idiots are cool, then maybe Japan is full of brains, where the biggest brains are cool. Yeah, that makes sense.

* * *

Junpei talked to me at lunch. He said that he'd missed my lunches, as he passed me a bread bun from the school shop. I thanked him, and he filled me in on what had happened while I was gone. Turned out, not much really.

Anyway, around half way through the break Kenji came up to me and asked if I played guitar. It was fairly obvious what he wanted, so I shrugged and pulled my guitar out of its case.

"Ooh, a Gibson? Not bad." Junpei remarked. "You know, I play a little myself."

"Really?"

"Yeah, got myself a Yamaha. It's alright, does the job. So, how well do you-"

I started playing unconsciously. It always happens whenever I get my hands on an instrument. I've been called musically talented, but I just know what goes where and have rhythm.

Kenji thought for a moment. "That's… clash on the big bridge, right? Final Fantasy Five?"

I nodded, and started concentrating on what I was playing.

I stopped after a few minutes, a bit unnerved by the two of them. "Something wrong?"

Kenji just stood in shock, and Junpei whistled. "Damn, that's skill. Heh, guess smart kids are good at music then."

I noticed the slight angst in Junpei's voice; it was hard to miss it. "Hey, we should practice together sometime." I offered.

Junpei grinned, but pretended to act nonchalant. "Yeah, sound's good. When did you have in mind?"

"Erm… Not tonight…" I told him. "Something's going down at my dorm…"

"I know." Junpei smiled. "I'm moving in."

"Oh, Really?"

"Damn man, aren't you surprised?" Junpei asked, leaning back in his chair.

"Well, yeah." I shrugged. "I just don't show it."

Junpei sighed. "Well, just don't tell Yuka-tan. I can't wait to see the look of her face when she finds out, it'll be priceless!"

"Finds out what?" asked the girl herself.

Yukari was there, having just walked back into the classroom. Junpei had the look of someone who's just been caught slipping a whoopee cushion under someone's seat (Note to self: do that at some point), so I bailed him out.

"Junpei plays guitar." I told her. It was true, but it wasn't the answer to her question, but she didn't know that, so yeah, I lied.

"Really? Because it looks like this." Yukari replied, simply looking bored.

"Holy crap!" Kenji shouted, "Two Minato-kun's!" That got us laughing.

* * *

I got to the dorm after Yukari, who was waiting in the lounge.

"Thought we were meeting upstairs?" I asked her, dumping my guitar case onto the couch.

"We are." She replied. "Just waiting for Akihiko-senpai."

"Right then." I nodded, slipping my shoes off, walking over to the other couch and dive-bombing it. "Wake me up when he shows." Naptime!

* * *

I sat up as the door opened. "There you are senpai." Yukari sighed at Akihiko walked half-way through the door, his right arm in a sling.

"Minato-kun, Yukari-san, there's someone I want to introduce." He told us from the doorway as he turned to face outside and barked "Hey! Hurry up!"

"Hold your horses," a familiar voice groaned. "This is freakin' heavy…"

Junpei came in through the door dragging some travel cases and had a sports bag across his back.

"JUNPEI?" Yukari shouted. "What's he doing here?"

Junpei was right; the look on her face _was_ priceless.

Junpei flashed what I'm sure was his idea of a million-yen grin. "Heheh, wazzup?"

Yukari's reaction only continued to escalate. "HE'S staying HERE? You've gotta be KIDDING ME!"

Junpei found this hilarious, but Akihiko kept a straight face. "I bumped into him last night." he explained. maybe he simply didn't find it funny? "He has the potential, but he just awakened to it recently…" Actually, it was more like he didn't get what was so funny. "I told him about us, and he agreed to help."

Yukari was beginning to calm down, but was still fairly hysterical. "YOU have the potential? For real?"

Fairly obvious, as Junpei went into a complaining mode. "He found me cryin' like a baby at the convenience store, surrounded by a bunch of coffins." he groaned. "I don't remember much but… Man, that's embarrassing!"

I had to admit, it wasn't normally the kind of thing one would boast about, but Junpei continued; "He said that was, you know, normal in the beginning." I must have looked confused for once because the other two nodded as Junpei elaborated "You know, being confused, and not remembering anything, did you guys know that?"

"Don't remember." I replied.

Junpei laughed, "Good one man."

I shook my head. "No, I'm serious; I can't remember what I was like when I 'awakened', as you call it."

Yukari looked concerned. "Erm… When did you awaken, exactly?" she asked.

"When I was seven, why?"

You could have heard a pin drop.

Yukari and Junpei merely looked surprised, but Akihiko looked white as a sheet, though I was the only one that noticed.

Yukari broke the silence "That explains a lot…" she muttered.

"Damn man, you grew up with this?" Junpei whistled. "Well, I suppose we go to bed pretty early when we're kids, so maybe it wasn't so–"

I shook my head. "Time difference."

Silence again, so I elaborated; "Because of the Time difference, it happens at around three or four in the afternoon back home."

…

Okay, now you could have heard a pin falling.

"That's an interesting piece of information."

I turned behind me and everyone's attention turned to the guidance councilor with a mullett who just spoke.

"Mr. Chairman." Akihiko nodded to him.

Ikutsuki smiled. "So the Dark Hour occurs worldwide at Japan's midnight and not in each time zone's respective midnights…" he nodded. "Very interesting…"

Really? Because that would have been one of the first things I would have checked out. Don't they have any scientists? Psychologists at the least.

"Mitsuru-san is waiting upstairs," Ikutsuki told us all, clapping his hands. "So let's go start the meeting!"

"Fiiiinally..." I muttered, swinging my legs from the couch.


	7. Rebuild 007

"Okay, let me start off by asking you both this;" Ikutsuki told Junpei and me, but he had the attention of everybody in the room. "Would you believe me if I said that the day consisted of more that twenty-four hours?"

"No." I replied, but dammit, Japanese sarcasm is hard!

"Excuse Me?" Junpei responded, actually surprised.

Mitsuru-senpai chuckled; either she caught my sarcasm or Junpei's surprise. Here's hoping it was the sarcasm, I need feedback on it. "I'm not surprised by your reaction." she said. "However, you've already experienced the truth first hand."

She stood up, facing me and Junpei. "Do you remember the night you came here?" she asked me ."Or the night Akihiko found you?" She asked Junpei, before pausing to give us time to think. "You had to have noticed the signs... The streetlights went out... Nothing was working... There were coffins everywhere... Didn't it feel like you were in a different time...?"

She paused again, not long enough to let us answer though. "That's the Dark Hour- a time period hidden between one day and the next."

"Hidden?" Junpei didn't seem to be taking this in. "Between?"

Ikutsuki answered him this time. "I guess it's more like something people aren't aware of. But, the dark hour exists, it occurs each night, at midnight as the clock strikes twelve. It will happen tonight, and every night to come. Of course," He paused, no doubt for effect, smiling at me, "That is taking into account time zones."

Mitsuru-senpai, who'd sat back down at some point, turned to the chairman questioningly.

"Minato-kun's been aware of the dark hour for over ten years now." Akihiko explained to her.

Yep, that shocked Mitsuru-senpai and Ikutsuki. Did they only awaken fairly recently like Junpei?

Hey, does that mean I've technically got seniority when it comes to Dark Hour crap? Sweet.

Akihiko continued his explanation; "He says that the dark hour occurred between three and four in the afternoon back in England."

Mitsuru-senpai processed this and nodded. "That would explain why he's adapted so well…" she muttered.

Akihiko turned to me and Junpei. "You've probably figured this out by now, but the reason no-one figures out about the dark hour is because they're all sleeping inside their coffins… But that's not what makes the dark hour so interesting…" Akihiko smirked, focusing on me now. "You saw those creatures; we call them 'Shadows'. They appear only during the dark hour, and attack anyone who's not in a coffin. Pretty cool huh?"

Junpei clearly thought so, but Mitsuru-senpai didn't seem to share the sentiment. "Akihiko!" she shouted, standing up. "Why are you always like that? You just got hurt the other day!"

"Now now," Ikutsuki intervened before she could have a right go at him, "He does his work well."

He then turned to me and Junpei as Mitsuru-senpai and Akihiko both sat down. "Long story short, we're the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad- SEES for short." he told us. "On paper, we're classified as a school club. But in reality, this group is dedicated to defeating the Shadows." He paused for breath. "Mitsuru is the leader. I'm the club advisor."

Mitsuru-senpai then took the lead of the introduction. "A Shadow feeds on the mind of its prey; the victim becomes a living corpse. They're responsible for most of the incidents on the news, if not all of them."

Junpei was hooked. "Well, what about the police?" he asked.

"They'll just be in their coffins like everyone else." I answered, stating the obvious. Akihiko and Mitsuru-senpai nodded at me while Yukari looked at the floor.

"Well, how do you fight them?" he asked me.

Like I said, Hooked like a fish.

I answered that with a backhand strike to his face.

"MINATO!" Yukari shouted.

Hey, I stopped before it hit.

"What the hell man?" he shouted, pushing my arm away from him.

"That's how you fight them." I told him.

I seemed to have gotten everyone's attention with that, so Ikutsuki cleared his throat, drawing that renewed focus to himself. "Although rare, there are those who can function during the Dark Hour." he said, but Junpei was still glaring at me. I gave him my best sheepish grin to calm him down. "Some may even awaken to a power that enables them to fight the Shadows. That's 'Persona'-" Ikutsuki glanced at me. "-the power you used the other night."

He turned to face Junpei. "The Shadows can only be defeated by Persona-users. Which means," He stopped, gesturing to the whole room, "It's all up to you guys."

"I see." I said, leaning forward in my stool.

Ikutsuki smiled at me. "I see you're quick to under-"

"So?"

Ikutsuki stopped dead. Yep, feigned apathy for the win.

Mitsuru-senpai stood up and placed a metal briefcase onto the table (Note to self, get a metal briefcase). She opened it, and inside were two copies of Yukari's 'gun' in shaped foam padding, as well as two red armbands.

"What we're trying to say is that we want you to join us." Mitsuru explained. "We've prepared Evoker's for you, in the hope that you'll lend us your strength."

"HELL YEAH!" Junpei shouted, pulling a victory pose.

"Thank you." Mitsuru-senpai replied with a smile. Back to her normal face, she turned to me. "Arisoto?"

I for one was considering this carefully.

_'I, Minato Arisoto, give my word that I will take full responsibility for the consequences of my decisions.'_

Well, in that case I was gonna make some damn careful decisions. "I'm thinking about it." I told her.

"What's there to think about?" Junpei asked, seemingly disgusted at me. "You scared or something?"

"JUNPEI!" Yukari stood up. She didn't seem to be dropping the honorific out of friendship, that's for sure.

"It's been established that Minato-kun is not a coward." Ikutsuki explained. "His performance last week more that proved that."

"Eh? What performance?" Junpei asked.

Yukari glared at Junpei. "He fought them on his own. That's why he was hospitalised for a week."

"EH!" Junpei was shocked. "You've fought them? But- But in school we were told it was exhaustion…"

"It was." I replied. "The Shadow broke Akihiko-senpai's arm and smashed half the dorm."

Junpei turned to his Senpai, not believing his ears.

Akihiko just shrugged. "It was huge, but Minato's Persona turned into a bigger monster that ripped it to pieces."

Wait, what? "You saw it?" I asked.

Mitsuru-senpai nodded. "On the security videos."

Hm? "You watched a recording after the battle?"

"It was a live feed on those monitors." Akihiko explained, thumbing towards the computer stations by the wall.

No way.

"Heh." I chuckled bitterly. "And none of you thought to help?"

Silence.

Every one was stunned by what I said.

Not surprising.

"Hey, I understand." I shrugged, my voice dripping in sarcasm. "After all, the video consoles are right there. So the fight must be, oh I don't know, a whole five seconds away at least."

"It's okay." I lied, leaning forward again. "I was only outnumbered three to one for the last minute, Big momma was only trying to kill us for a couple of minutes before that, so considering you saw me summon Orpheus, then see him explode into Thanatos, you would only have been able to help for, oh, I don't know, _the entire fight?_!"

Yeah, I know I'm pushing my luck and several people's patience here, but I needed to make this point clear. "What if I hadn't been able to kill it?" I asked. "What if Thanatos didn't show up? Because Orpheus wasn't strong enough to take that thing down. Hell, what if Thanatos turned on me? Or, more likely..." I glared at Ikutsuki and Mitsuru-senpai. "What if I had collapsed _before_ fighting the underlings? Both Yukari and I would be DEAD, because YOU assumed… Hell, I don't even know what you were thinking!"

"I apologise." Ikutsuki replied immediately. "Both Akihiko and Mitsuru immediately rushed to help you, but I asked them to stop once you picked up Yukari's Evoker. It was the best opportunity to see your potential. But while we're at it..." He asked, leaning forward into a gendo pose to match mine. "Why don't you tell us how you knew what to do?"

"Because that's what Yukari tried to do." I told him.

"Really?" Ikutsuki smiled. "And how did you know that she wasn't trying to commit suicide, rather than face defeat?"

Yukari looked pretty shocked at the suggestion, but I decided to play the guy's game.

"Alright then." I sighed. "I blew my brains out because some kid I hallucinated told me to."

Everyone glared at me like I'd just said that the Queen was Muslim, so I smirked. "Stupid question gets a stupid answer."

Ikutsuki leaned back in his chair, sighing.

Everyone else was silent.

Yukari simply looked at me, looking ashamed. "I-I'm sorry… I can understand if you don't want to join us now, but-"

"I never said I wouldn't." I interrupted.

That got everyone's attention.

Well, it would if I didn't already have it.

"I take full responsibility for the consequences of my decisions." I explained. "So if I decide not to join and people die because I'm not fighting, then that's my fault."

I paused for a moment. What can I get from this? I considered giving a price, but then I remembered something my Uncle taught me.

"_You must never place a price on your honesty lad."_

Damn… I'd already decided to join and made that fairly clear, so to barter now would just be… No, I couldn't. I wasn't that kind of person, so I settled for what I knew I was getting anyway.

"I get to keep my room here at no board, with full access to the armoury."

Ikutsuki smiled, relieved, and Mitsuru-senpai sighed. "All members of S.E.E.S. have to live here because of the nature of our activities, and we don't charge board." Then she looked at me. "But how did you know about the armoury?"

"The sword Yukari offered me was a bit of a give away, considering the condition it was in."

"Condition?" Mitsuru asked, almost as if deciding whether or not to be offended.

"Used." I elaborated. She nodded, satisfied.

Ikutsuki nodded. "Very well, I'll have a key made for you." he decided, standing up. "Welcome aboard, both of you."

I felt a bullet pass through my skull as time froze. I couldn't move, but I heard a voice and saw a card in my mind.

_Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Fool Arcana…_

The card, showing someone about to step off a cliff and numbered '0', vanished, and time started again.

"Yukari, why don't you show them the way?" Ikutsuki asked her, pulling a keyring out of his pocket and offering them to her "Here's my key; I assume you know the way?"

"Oh," She nodded, taking the key. "Sure…"

"I need to discuss something with Mitsuru and Akihiko." Ikutsuki continued. "Don't worry, it's all clerical. You boys pick out something that interests you. And Minato-kun?" I turned to him as I rose from my chair, "I apologise." he said. "I shouldn't have acted that way when lives were in danger, I am sincerely sorry."

Liar. If he was the kind of person who'd feel sorry for that, he wouldn't have done it in the first place.

Nor would he have tried not to look so smug while apologising.

I nodded anyway, decided to just drop the matter, and walked out the room, followed by Yukari and Junpei.

Junpei was the first to talk was we descended the stairs. "Damn man, that was intense." he said. "I had no idea you could get so pissed! Erm… Were you?" he asked. "I really couldn't tell…"

"Of course he was!" Yukari responded, "Anyone would be!"

"I know, I know." Junpei replied, shrugging. "I just didn't see any change on his face."

"What're you talking about?" Yukari asked.

"I was watching right next to him, and I swear, his face did not budge an inch!" Junpei replied back to her as we reached the bottom of the stairs.

I told you before, my emotions just don't show up on my face unless I fake it, but I wasn't telling anyone that. "Yeah, I was bloody annoyed." I shrugged. "Wouldn't you be?"

Yukari unlocked a door to the armoury under the stairs. "It's here." she said.

"Ooh… A Real Live Armoury!" Junpei rubbed his hands with glee. "Can't wait!"

He must've felt like a kid in a candy store. I had to admit, so was I. Men will always be boys, we're never too old for toys.

* * *

Okay, so the room inside didn't have rows of guns stretching for eternity, but it had a decent selection: Bows, Arrows, Shortswords, Longswords, Maces, Boxing Gloves, Lances, Knuckle spikes (I almost picked one of those instinctively. Wolverine!), Claymore, Axes, Katana, Halberds, Knives (My mortal nemesis), Rapiers, even Warscythes!

Junpei dancing around like an idiot, earning a facepalm from Yukari, so I slipped a pair of armour plated gloves into my pocket. They were basically a pair of cycling gloves with metal plating on the back of the hand and the knuckles.

They were easy to carry around, not suspicious, useful as a backup but not really a weapon of choice. However, I do not want to have to punch that mask again barehanded. My knuckles still hurt.

I'm actually surprised I managed to break something that hard, though it was probably Orpheus powering me up.

"Hey, you okay?"

I turned to Yukari, "Yeah, I'm fine." I replied. "Just a bit spoiled for choice." I hoped like hell they didn't take an inventory.

Yukari smiled. "Well, don't worry, you'll probably get used to whatever you pick. "

"You use a bow, right?" I guessed.

Yukari smiled. "Yeah, Archery club."

"So Boxing Team and Fencing Squad means gloves and rapiers." I muttered, guessing Akihiko's and Mitsuru-senpai's fighting styles.

"Yeah, though Akihiko-senpai prefers the big armoured gauntlets…"

I followed her gaze. There was a pair of gloves that looked like they'd been taken from a suit of medieval armour, bulky metal fists with spiky knuckles.

Awesome. Can't wait to see him in a scrap then.

Then I picked up on something else. "Hey, how come there's only two or three of everything?" I asked her.

"I don't know;" Yukari thought. "Maybe Ikutsuki told Mitsuru-senpai to let you guys experiment with different weapons…"

"No need for me to experiment!" Junpei shouted, finger in the air. "Samurai Surrender Junpei is _always_ there with a katana by his side!"

Yep, he was right there, posing with his katana.

"Junpei, put that away and act serious for once." Yukari groaned.

"I am serious Yuka-Tan!" Junpei replied, sheathing his sword with some difficulty. "A Samurai's Katana is his soul!"

Actually, that was a Samurai's Wakizashi, but the less people using knives, the better. "What're you gonna pick Minato my boy?" he asked me.

I shrugged. "I'm actually comfortable with any of them really, I've actually practised with most of them before now." That got stares, so I elaborated; "Well, wooden or makeshift versions of course."

"Oh yeah?" Junpei was sceptical. "How do you get a makeshift warhammer?"

"Chair"

"Alright, then what about the battleaxe?"

"Broken Chair."

"I- Alright, you got me." Junpei sighed. "Wait!" He suddenly had an idea. "How would you practice with a makeshift bow?"

"Hunting rabbits while camping." I shrugged. Not that I was any good at it, but he didn't need to know that.

"Erm, hello?" Yukari asked. "Bows are more complex than that!"

"I know." I replied. "I'll probably go for the one hander for now" I replied, reaching for a shortsword like the weapon I used last time. "Actually, I could do with some thing with more power for now…" picking an axe. And dropping an axe. "Alright, bit heavy for now…" I mumbled, hefting the weapon back to its stand. "Lance'll do for now."

And with that, I picked up a sweet Warscythe. It was basically a short sword, but with a lances handle. No, it looked nothing like a scythe, but you probably used it for similar sweeping motions. A couple of swings and I was happy.

"Oh, I almost forgot." Yukari added. "Ikutsuki says we're allowed to carry our weapons around at school."

Wait what? I looked at Yukari. Come to think about it, she could easily hide a short bow underneath that sweater of hers, and keep a quiver in her school bag.

I glanced at Junpei, who was easily tall enough to hide the Katana under his jacket. Then I looked at my Warscythe. Nice as it was, it was also as tall as me; I could never hide it. "I guess I'll take the Shortsword then." I sighed, reluctantly returning the polearm.

It made sense. I mean, if dark hour ended during a fight, how would we explain our weapons? We had to be able to hide them.

Holding my new weapon, I made note of my surroundings. All of the weapons had sheaths for safe transport, which was useful, even if we couldn't hide them.

We left the armoury, Yukari locking the door behind us. As she ran upstairs to return the key, I saw something that made scared the hell out of me.

Junpei was standing in the lounge, in a stance that held the sword vertically up, the handle at head height.

"DAH-Dum da duh duh Dum da duh duh Dum da dum dum." He swung the sword, slowly and theatrically. "DadadaDA-DADA! DUM!"

I actually winced as Junpei struck a pose, shouting "It's outta the park!", and I realised something horrifying.

Junpei had no idea how to use that thing.

Even worse, he doesn't even know how to hold a baseball bat.

And he's gonna be fighting for his life against Shadows?

He's gonna die.


	8. Rebuild 008

Next day, I got up early. Stupidly early in fact.

Well, I went to bed early specifically so I could carry out this scheme, so I guess that makes me stupid like a FOX!

Junpei, on the other hand, was barely coherent. "Buh… Whugh..? Mi-mina-*yawn*-o-gune, whussuhp?"

"Up. Dressed. Five minutes. Now." I stated in short bursts. "Go back to sleep and I go all medieval on your arse."

"Right…sleep…that sounds…" Junpei began snoring.

Sighing, I walked over to the corner where he kept the sword from last night. Picking it up by the scabbard, I rammed the handle right where I warned him I would.

"GAAHH!" Junpei shouted, smacking the pole out of my hand and his end as he rolled over. "DUDE WHAT THE HELL!"

"Dressed, downstairs, Four Minutes. NOW." I didn't shout, but it was clear that he got the point.

Butt hey, he was ass-king for it.

That pun was awful, sorry about that.

* * *

Junpei met me in the lounge in three minutes. "What the hell man, it's *yawn* five in the freakin' morning!"

"I know." I told him. "Come on, we're going out."

"The hell?" he snapped. "Dude, I 'ain't even *yawn* showered yet."

"That's fine, you can do it when we get back." I told him, guiding his sorry arse out the door.

"Riight, and when will that be exactly?" he asked.

"Around seven." I said. Truthfully,

It wasn't a lie at least, in fact it was technically correct – the best kind of correct.

"Damn man, what do you need me for that needs to be done so early?"

* * *

An hour later we got off the train, near some fields.

Watching the train leave, Junpei said "Dude, we'd better be fast if we're gonna be *yawn* home in an hour."

"We're not." I told him, grabbing some stuff in the gift shop.

"EH?" Junpei turned to face me. "But you *yawn* said we'd be back by seven!"

"In the evening." I clarified as I paid for the goods. Is he going to yawn every time he speaks? He's been up for an hour by now!

Junpei stared at me in disbelief. "Dude, you're insane." Junpei said as he yawned again. "I'm taking the next train *yawn* home!"

"It's in twelve hours." I told him, coming out of the shop. His yawning makes me want to yawn too. C'mon, focus...

"…Eh?"

I pushed Junpei through the turnstiles. Following him, I showed him the tickets I bought back at Iwatodai Station. They had reserved seats on the 6:00AM out bound and the 6:00PM inbound.

"Damn… No wonder the seats were so *yawn* cushy." he grinned, reaching for his pocket. "But hey, I have my-"

Fight that urge to yawn, Minato my boy. "Your student pass doesn't work outside the city." I told him, having looked up the limits beforehand. "Also, I moved the money from your wallet to your sock drawer, and there isn't a single cash machine for miles." I started to walk away from him, into the fields. "You're stuck here with me for the next twelve hours."

Junpei was shocked at this. "…Why..?"

I turned to him. "It's for family outings and suchlike. Come on!" I shouted, setting to jog.

Junpei sighed, and started to jog after me. "Dammit Man, you're such an *yawn* asshole."

I smirked intentionally, and bit back a yawn. "English." I told him. "We all them Arseholes."

* * *

After a few minutes walk I told Junpei what we were doing here.

It was clear that Junpei had no combat experience, nor sword training, so I was going to provide him with both.

"Alright, then why so *Yawn* early?" he asked.

"Because you aren't used to either the dark hour OR sleep deprivation." I told him, twirling a bokken from the gift shop in my hand. "I woke you up early and didn't let you sleep on the train to deprive you of sleep, and fighting for twelve hours straight will tire you out as you get more alert and get some combat instict." I tossed him a wooden sword and grabbed one of the several spares for myself.

"Okay man." Junpei said, holding the bokken gingerly. "You are now officially batshi- GAH!"

I pushed slightly harder. Yeah, his ribs are fine.

I withdrew as Junpei clutched his side. "THE HELL MAN! I WASN'T READY!"

I flicked his non-existent blood from my blunt blade. "You think a Shadow will wait for you to get ready?" I asked him.

That got his attention. "…Huh?"

"I don't want you to die. Akihiko and Mitsuru-senpai have been doing this for years, and Yukari fights from a distance." I reversed the grip on the wooden weapon and lowered my stance. "I've been in street fights for ages, so that puts you at the most risk. Especially since…" I paused for dramatic event. "…Ikutsuki wants us to fight tomorrow."

"Eh?" Junpei asked, gripping his weapon in two hands. "He wants us to fight each other? Us two?"

"No, we're going with Yukari and Mitsuru-senpai to fight the Shadows." I told him. "Tomorrow night."

"Oh, I thought you meant with each other…" Junpei laughed, before registering what I just said. "Wait, what?"

"You heard." I told him. "This is our last chance to get you ready for battle before tomorrow. I'm going to attack now."

"Woah, Hold on!" he protested. "I'm not-UGH!"

* * *

Six hours later, Junpei was starting to improve. Fighting for six hours straight without food, water, or rest had significantly improved his endurance already. He was already keeping up to my blows, but still hadn't managed to land a successful hit. I'm worried that I might be turning him bitter, but as long as I'm keeping him among the living, it's worth it.

He certainly cheered up when I showed him lunch. Leftover Steak Pasta Bake. If that doesn't sound much, then you haven't eaten leftover pasta bake, and certainly wasn't as hungry as Junpei.

Thing with Pasta Bakes is that if you leave it in the fridge overnight, it sets into a compressed form, so it fills you up twice as fast, and gives double the flavour. The slow-release energy from the pasta mixed with the muscle-building proteins from the steak made for a perfect combination for what we were doing.

"Alright man." Junpei told me, tossing his empty water bottle into the grass. "Let's go."

I was surprised, "Thought you wanted a break."

"We had one." he laughed, getting to his feet with bokken in hand, waving his fingers at me Morpheus style. "Come on, I'll kick your ass!"

I smiled, "Fine then," I responded, putting down my bowl. "Your arse is mine."

* * *

Seven hours later, we were both back at the dorm, covered in bruises. After the last Bokken broke, we went at it with our fists. Junpei learnt to use his long reach to his advantage, and the quicker pace of fist fighting forced his reactions to go overdrive. I had to admit, he wasn't bad for a beginner.

All things considered, he had good chance of not getting slaughtered within seconds. Could be fun to see how good he gets.

Yukari was shocked at the state we were in when we came through the door. "What kind of fishing were you doing?"

Yeah, I could tell she didn't believe the 'Gone Fishin' note I left, but I humoured her. "A big one."

"Yeah," Junpei nodded, grinning. "It was THIS BIG!" He added, stretching his arms as wide as he could. "But it got away…"

"My fish was bigger"

"Mine was stronger."

We both laughed and went to get washed up. We'd eaten some more of lunch on the train, so after the shower I went straight to bed.

* * *

Of course, there's no rest for the wicked.

"Hi, How are you?"

Okay, Up. Surroundings? Green. Not velvet room then. Eyes focus. My room, dark hour. Someone sitting on my bed. Creepy kid from before. He chuckled as I sat up.

"Oh." I told him. "Hey. 'Sup?"

"It's good to see you." the kid chuckled, before turning serious. "Soon, The End will come. I remembered, so I thought that I should tell you."

"The End?" I asked. As in The End with capitals?

"Of everything." he said. That sucks. "But to be honest, I really don't know what it is…" he admitted.

"I see…" I mused. "That complicates things…"

The boy nodded, then smiled. "Oh, looks like you've awakened to your power, and what an unusual power it is…"

I leant back in bed. "The power of Persona, I know."

The boy shook his head. "Yours is different." he said. "A power that takes many forms, but is bound by none… It may prove to be your salvation, depending on where you end up."

I took a stab in the dark. "Did you summon Thanatos?" I asked.

The boy laughed. "Very good, I'm impressed."

"So that means you're in my head." I deducted.

The boy smiled. "I'm always with you."

"Really." I doubted him. "If that was the case, how come I've never spoken to you outside of the dark hour? Or the fact that this is only the third or fourth time we've met?"

The boy stood. Looking at him, he couldn't be older than ten. "I awoke once you returned here." he told me. "But I've since thought it to be rude to intrude on your waking life. You do remember when we first met, right?"

I nodded. "I intend to honour that agreement."

That impressed him. "Good. I'll always be watching you," he began, walking for the door, "Even if you forget about me…"

That was odd. How the hell did he expect me to forget about him?

"Feel free to stop by any time."

This seemed to surprise the boy, "You don't mind?"

I shook my head. "I'd probably be dead if you hadn't summoned Thanatos back then. Plus, you're the only person who hasn't tried to hide anything from me since I got here, so you're ranked fairly high in my book."

The boy laughed at this. "Well, thank you. I'll be seeing you again…", as he opened the door. "Good night…" he said stepping through the door.

"Good night yourself."

I could swear I saw a genuine smile as the door closed behind him; not the childish smiles he normally has, but that familiar smile of loneliness I've come to see all over this country.

It wasn't tough to get back to sleep after that.


	9. Rebuild 009

Next day, Junpei was talking to me during lunch about how sore he was from yesterday. I felt fine, but Yukari called us both idiots.

"What if you'd gotten hurt?" she shouted.

"It was fine," I explained. "I know first aid."

"Well, what if you had gotten hurt?"

"Impossible," I replied. "Junpei-kun hits like a girl."

"Hey!" Junpei protested, but Yukari punched me.

"Ow! Alright, sorry Yukari…"

She seemed satisfied, so I turned to Junpei. "Yukari punches harder than you."

"Minato! Ugh…" Yukari was clutching her head. "Men…"

"Hey, since when we you two so close? Since you're calling each other like that already... Guess the rumours were true after all."

Yukari stood bolt upright. "What rumours..?"

"You know… the ones that say you two are going out!"

"WHAT!" hey, no need to be so offended. "Look, there's nothing going on between us, we just decided to not bother, okay?"

I couldn't believe Yukari was getting so worked up over this. I mean, I saw this coming from day one. Actually, that was the day I heard about the rumours in the first place. But hey, I was feeling particularly evil, so I decided to push my luck and see how far Yukari could go.

"So, how far have I gotten with her?"

"Eh? Minato!"

"In the rumours of course. I'm actually interested in what people think of me." Oh, I could pull of a righteously evil smile when I wanted to. "Go on Junpei, spill."

"Well…" Junpei leaned forward to whisper in my ear.

"I don't believe this…" Yukari was shocked.

"Seriously? I've only been here a couple of weeks and already nurse sex?"

"WHAT?"

"Well, she was visiting you in the hospital every day while you were out."

"_WHAT?_"

I shook my head. "Actually, he's right; you kind of brought this down on yourself." I smiled warmly. "It's alright; I know you aren't the kind of person to do such things."

"THE RUMOURS ARE ABOUT YOU!" She screeched. "YOU _KNOW _THEY'RE FALSE!"

I shook my head. "Apparently I was unconscious. Gotta admit, these rumours are surprisingly accurate."

"…What…" Yukari said darkly.

"They knew I was unconscious." I clarified before she tried to kill me there and then. "Something only S.E.E.S. members and the doctors knew."

Yukari looked puzzled. "So what? Now you're supporting them? I don't believe this…"

"I never said that." I replied, calm and neutral. "I'm saying that the rumours contained information that only five students in the school knew about." I leant back in my chair, counting off fingers. "I was unconscious, you were visiting me and are upset by these rumours… That leaves Akihiko, Mitsuru-senpai, And-"

Junpei was already running for the door. He'd already opened it but his exit was blocked. "Oh, thank you Iori." Mitsuru-senpai told him. "May I have a minute with everyone?"

Oh, now that was just unfortunate.

Mitsuru walked over to the desk, an uncomfortable Junpei followed. "Come to the lounge when you get back to the dorm." She explained to us, "I have something I wish to discuss with everyone."

Junpei suddenly perked up. "Oh, are we having that talk?"

"I'll save the details for later. See you there."

"Wait, Mitsuru-senpai?"

She turned back. "Yes, Arisoto-kun?"

"Have you by any chance been spreading any rumours about Yukari-san coma raping me while I was unconscious in the hospital, particularly any involving nurse's uniforms?"

Oh, I just loved that silence. It's like the calm before the storm, and everyone's watching, just to see who's gonna get rained on. "N-No, I haven't, why would you accuse me of such a thing?"

"Just trying to discover the truth…" I noted her blush. Embarrassed, but certainly not guilty… not that I ever suspected her of course. "What about Akihiko?"

"Of course not, he has no interest in such things as it is! What are you getting at?"

I nodded, and swung onto my chair, standing on the seat crouched over my desk. Bending over to pick a strawberry off the cake slice I bought earlier (Pretty conveniently too,) I answered in my most monotonous voice; "Then there is a ninety five percent chance that Junpei-kun is Kira…"

"What the hell man? That makes no-!" He was interrupted by Yukari slapping him.

Mitsuru-senpai was utterly lost. "Erm… what's going -?"

"Someone was spreading inappropriate rumours about me and Yukari," I replied to Mitsuru-senpai, as Yukari unleashed her fury. "The rumours contained specific pieces of information that only a member of S.E.E.S. would know, so I used you to collect evidence against Junpei" Oh, I loved playing detective. "Since Yukari was the most offended party in the situation, I believed it was only appropriate that she meted out justice." Which she was still doing, mind you, "So I impersonated the mannerisms of a famous fictional detective to both throw Junpei-kun off guard, and to tell Yukari in code." I turned to the Redhead and, completing the impression, I passed her my cake topping. "I'll give you this strawberry if you don't tell anyone."

"Ah, I believe that that is L?" she asked, slight grin pulling at the corner of her mouth.

I reverted back to my regular position. "He's right though. It _is_ easier to think sitting like that."

"Thanks Minato," Yukari returned, washing blood from her hands. "That felt good."

Metaphorical blood, of course, as Junpei returned, relatively uninjured except for his pride.

* * *

So, that night, we all made our way to the fourth floor. Ikutsuki greeted us.

"Okay, everybody's here." He began. "I'd like your undivided attention. For a long time, Mitsuru and Akihiko were the only Persona-users we had. But, that number recently jumped to five. Therefore… Starting tonight at 12:00AM, I'd like to commence the exploration of Tartarus.

"Tartarus? What's that?" Junpei asked the question, noting that it "Sounds like toothpaste."

"We believe we can find the reason behind the dark hour there." Akihiko explained, "Since it only appears in the dark hour. "

"…Seriously?" Junpei was stunned

Akihiko nodded. "Just like the shadows. In fact, it's full of them, making it a perfect place to train. Think of it as their nest. "

"Woah…" Junpei was easily impressed.

"But, Senpai," Yukari began, "Your injury?"

"Since Akihiko will take at least another month to heal, he'll only be coming as far as the entrance." Mitsuru-senpai seemed adamant about this.

Akihiko sighed in defeat. "Yeah, I know…"

"Well, I'm sure he won't complain, as long as you don't go too far in." Ikutsuki interjected, taking back everyone's attention, "Since we're dealing with shadows, Tartarus isn't something we can avoid."

Junpei stood up, smiling. "Relax, I got your backs."

Yukari, on the other hand, wasn't so confident. "I don't know about this…"

I turned to Ikutsuki. "What about you?"

"Oh, I'll stay here thanks." Ikutsuki looked embarrassed. "After all, I can't summon a Persona…"

So, apparently not everyone in the dark hour has the 'potential'.

It was an interesting thought to mull over as we made our way to this 'Tartarus'.

* * *

When we arrived, I had to admit:

I hadn't expected to return to school so soon.

All in all, pretty surprising place for a Shadow nest.

"This is the place?" Junpei asked. "Here?"

I nodded, fairly surprised myself. Why the hell exactly were we at school?

Of course, I knew why. We were going to Tartarus, we'd brought our weapons and evokers, plus a few supplies, of course hell is school. Could have gotten the answer from anyone back in Britain.

"Just wait sec," Akihiko replied, looking at his phone. "It's almost midnight…"

So a swarm of shadows appeared during the Dark Hour, huh?

Only one way to find out, I guess.

Three…

Two…

One…

Zero, and the world turned green.

Then the school rose.

It started to contort as it ascended, with pillars shooting up from the ground. Within moments it was distorted beyond recognition and taller than I could see. The building was as majestic as it was grotesque.

"This," Mitsuru began, "Is Tartarus…"


	10. Rebuild 010

"What the hell?" Junpei shouted.

"Tartarus." Mitsuru explained. "It's the Labyrinth that appears during the dark hour."

Junpei turned to her. "I know that, but what the Jif happened to our school?"

Bit of an odd expletive, but I'd heard people say 'Oh, Lemons', so why not?

"Once the dark hour passes" Mitsuru responded, "Everything turns back to normal"

Wait, they don't sell Jif over here, so how does Junpei know about that brand of lemon juice?

Maybe it's because they sell oven cleaner too? Or is that Cif?

Side note: I'd hate to mix those two up next Pancake Tuesday...

Junpei turned to Akihiko. "This is the nest you were talking about?" he asked. "But Why! WHY did Our School turn into a FREAKIN' TOWER!"

More importantly, what was I going to put on my pancakes next February?

Junpei turned to Mitsuru. "You don't know either?"

Then it hit me.

"…No…" She replied.

I slept through the entire Easter weekend this year.

I'm not getting a Pancake Tuesday...

"Does it matter?" Yes Yukari, it does. "It's not like it wouldn't change our minds about fighting."

"Come to think about it, it is their fault…" I muttered.

"Eh? What's whose fault?" Yukari asked.

"Oh, Erm…" Crap, you can only follow two conversations at once if you keep them separate! "The Shadows? The… dark hour is their fault… probably?"

Everyone looked at me like I'd just made an arse of myself. Which I just did. No need to rub it in.

"Who Knows?" Akihiko asked, bailing me out. "Maybe now we'll find out. Mitsuru and I have only gone in to take a peek, so this will be our first time exploring it. Exiting isn't it?"

"Akihiko." Mitsuru glared at him. "I respect your enthusiasm, but you won't be coming with us today."

Akihiko sighed. "Yeah, I know…" he replied, glancing at his broken arm.

"We going in then?" I asked. Yep, composure regained.

"Lead the way, Arisoto." Mitsuru invited.

Oh sure, send the newbie. Is this going to be a running theme?

* * *

"Woah, it's just as cool on the inside…" Junpei looked amazed.

Yukari, on the other hand, looked nervous. "But it sure is creepy…"

Me? Oh, I was concerned about why The Walls Were Floating Around Above A Bottomless Pit Of Death And Despair. Say what you want, that's more important than the staircase leading to the oversized clock, or the freaky DDR pad.

This was clearly old news to Mitsuru, who simply informed us that "This is only the entrance. The Labyrinth is through the doorway at the top of the stairs."

I looked up and found that the clock was missing a large chunk at 6:00. Ah, so that's what the stairs are for… another mystery solved.

"First, we'll have you three get a feel for the place." Mitsuru decided. "Why don't you go have a look around?"

"What!" Yukari wasn't expecting this. "By ourselves?"

"We're not asking you to go very far." Mitsuru clearly thought that everything in the plan for 'Operation: Charge of the Green Brigade' was all reasonable. "Don't worry, I'll be feeding you information from here."

Yep, Knew they didn't intend to come in from the start.

"We'll also appoint a leader to make any necessary decisions, since I'm injured and Mitsuru's providing support." Akihiko stated.

That got our attention. Junpei was jumping up and down with his hand in the air, like the kid who gets picked to play football just to shut him up. Wait, they call it soccer over here, don't they? Silly Americans, football means the ball only touches your foot, now you've got the poor Japanese confused too. Bless their little mistaken heads.

"You're in charge." Akihiko decided.

That better be me or so help me…

"W-wait a sec, why him?" Junpei complained like the kid who didn't get picked. "He doesn't look like a leader!"

"He has fought them before." Yukari pointed out.

Yep, me.

"Yeah, I know, but still-"

"There's another reason." Akihiko said, cutting off Junpei's whining. "You two…" Akihiko pulled his evoker out and held it to his head. "Can you summon your persona without any problems like he can?" Good Question. "Can you put the gun to you head and pull the trigger without hesitation or fear? Because if you're in a panic, your persona 'ain't doin' nothin'."

That shocked both Yukari and Junpei, and explained a lot.

"Y-Yeah, of course I-"

"I-I think so-"

"BANG!" Akihiko shouted.

Everyone shut up.

"These are shadows we're talking about here." Stated Akihiko, lowering his gun arm, his injury a testament to what he was telling us. "Without your persona, you're screwed."

Oh, he's good. That brought them down to earth faster than a whale and a pot of petunias. "I'm in. "

What choice did I have? I felt like lifting my sword into the air and riding into battle against Mordor. Ah, Aragorn, how we love thee.

I stepped forward, and I saw something glow behind Akihiko. Walking past him, I walked towards the blue door. The key in my pocket felt warm.

"Minato?"

"Hold on a sec…" and I stepped through the door.

* * *

"I've been waiting for you." Igor grinned.

"Evening Igor. Hello Elizabeth."

"Good day." She replied to me, nodding.

"The time has come for you to wield your power." Igor told me with delight. "The tower that you are about to venture into... How did it come to be? For what purpose does it exist? Regrettably, you are not yet capable of answering these questions. That is why you must be made aware of the nature of your power."

That could wait. "About that door, I'm the only one able to see, touch, or pass through it, right?" I asked.

"Of course. Now-"

"And the passage time?"

Igor smiled at my interruption. He probably wasn't used to having such a cocky 'guest'. "No time passes in the real world when you visit us willingly." he said. "Any other questions, or may I continue?"

"I'm good." I said, sitting down.

"Marvellous." Igor chuckled. "Your power is unique. It's like the number zero... It's empty, but at the same time holds infinite possibilities." I nodded. "You, my boy, are able to possess multiple Personas, and summon them as needed."

"Eh? Really?" I didn't know what was more shocking; the possibility of multiple personae or that it was rare among persona users.

Igor smirked. "Surely you have noticed this within yourself." he said. "One moment you think one way, but you have a completely different personality the next." Igor smiled, clearly amused about something. "This change is completely internal; it does not change who you are, or how you appear to the outside world. What changes, however, are your attitudes and thought patterns. THAT my boy is the power of the Fool that you grasp. Each attitude is another Persona, waiting to answer your call. As you learn to control your ability, you will learn to completely control these changes within you."

"So I get different powers depending on my mood." I nodded. "Gotcha."

"When you have defeated your enemies, you will see the faces of possibility before you." Igor said with a smile. "There may be times when they are difficult to grasp... But, do not fear." Igor waved his hand. "Seize what you have earned. Your power will grow accordingly... Be sure to keep that in mind."

This was a lot to take in, but I knew Igor was true in everything he said. In fact, looking back, I've gone through the Jock, the creepy detective, the bored asshole, the hyper kid, and that was just today! What am I now… The Fool? Wait a sec…

"You said the Fool, and the number 0." I said. "I remember the number 13 when I summoned Thanatos." I frowned. "And that monster, the Magician?" Don't ask how I knew its name, I just did. "It had a number 1 on its mask. Does this have anything to do with Tarot?"

Elizabeth's jaw almost dropped as Igor laughed heartily. "You are indeed an interesting guest!" he shouted. "You are the first to make that connection so quickly…" Igor looked directly into my eyes. "Even today, you have passed through the Chariot, the Justice, the Hierophant, The Hermit, The Star, and currently you are the Fool, which is the closest to your true self."

"So, how does this apply to fortune telling?" I asked him.

"If I were to give a reading based on those cards…" Igor waved his hand over the table, and those cards appeared there. "Then an Impulsive Decision will lead you to fight against injustice. You will find hope within yourself, and lead others on their journey to find themselves. Very interesting…" Igor looked up from the table. "Now tell me… what impulsive decision will lead you onto this path?"

I smiled, rising from my chair. "It was nice talking with you Igor, but I must be going now."

As I did this, a seventh card appeared on the table. Following my gaze, Igor looked at it and laughed. "hm… The Magician… Your overconfidence is your weakness…"

"Your faith in your friends is yours." I replied. He was asking for it.

That tickled him. Me too, I wasn't expecting him to get the joke. "Well, my spare time will soon become scarce." he said. "But, please come again of your own accord. I'll tell you then of my true role… the manner in which I can best assist you."

"I can come back any time I want, right?" I asked.

Igor's smile changed slightly. "Correct. Until then, farewell."

* * *

"Hey, are you alright?" Yukari asked.

Okay, back in Tartarus.

"What's up man?" Junpei's face moved in front of mine. "Dude, you look like a zombie."

"Brains." Classic. I turned around and headed for the door. "Come on, let's go." I ordered.

"Here's an earpiece and some supplies." Mitsuru passed me a headphone and one of those single-strap backpacks that go over one shoulder, plus they had a thin bag that fits under your jacket. Looking back, Junpei and Yukari already had theirs.

Sighing, I put it on and plugged in the headphone. "No mic?"

Akihiko smiled. "Don't worry, you won't need one."

Us three headed up the stairs while Mitsuru explained the basics of Persona battle.

Basically, our Personae altered our actual physiology, granting us increased physical power, as well as resistances to specific things in exchange for giving us weaknesses, like pokémon.

Basically, there's fire, electric, ice, wind, light, dark, and then there's three physical types called strike, slash and pierce. That might not make sense, but getting stabbed is very different to getting punched. I'm not sure how light and dark works, but if we assume that Akihiko's Persona is resistant to electricity, giving him rubbery skin, but as the trade-off, he's pretty susceptible to cold. Me, my Orpheus is weak to electricity, so electric shocks will hurt like hell now, and apparently dark will hurt me more, however that works.

Actually, Igor said I can have multiple personae so... yeah, exactly like pokémon. Huh.

Hah, could you imagine? A bunch of guys battling demon shadow things, using pokémon moves on each other. How crazy would that be?

Yes, I played Pokémon. And I got right into it. And fact is, ten quid says so did you, and if you didn't, you're lying. Get over it.

Anyways, Orpheus could use Agi and Bash, covering two out of nine weaknesses. Me and Junpei had swords, and Yukari had her bow, so that covered the three physicals, so I reckoned we'd be fine for now.

Look, at least it wasn't Yu-Gi-Oh or D+D, alright? I don't have to roll for initiative to kick your ass, so just drop it you... imaginary antagonist...

... I think the stress is getting to me.

Anyway, what surprised me most was that Mitsuru could answer our questions. When I asked her about it, all she said was that **"It's my persona's ability. I can receive visual and audio information from here, so I can relay instructions via your earpieces."**

"I thought I was the leader." I asked.

"**You are, but you'll still do as I command."**

I sighed. "Fine. I'm the Sergeant, you're the Captain." he said. "So how come the headphones work?"

"**They're special."** Sounds more like a plot device to me, but then again, the Evokers worked during the dark hour, and so did the camera system… and basic lighting back at the dorm…

Alright, they knew how to make technology work during the dark hour. Oh, great, Mitsuru was just said something important and I just missed it. Something about structure changing? "What's that mean?" I asked, hoping to catch what I missed by the explanation.

"**It means that the layout of each floor changes each time you enter Tartarus."** Mitsuru said.** "I believe that certain floors remain the same, but this is why outside support is imperative."**

Right, that's what they were talking about.

Gotcha.

"**Now, judging by your location,"** Mitsuru continued, **"You can expect to encounter enemies at any minute. They shouldn't be too tough, but proceed with caution. Practice makes Perfect."**

"Gotcha!" Junpei grinned.

I nodded.

"Alright." Yukari said. However, under her breath, she muttered "Why is she always like that…"

Mitsuru either ignored that or didn't notice. **"Let's begin. Keep in mind, these are real battles you'll be engaging in. Now, see if you can eliminate all the Shadows wandering around on this floor." **

I led the way, and saw something move in the darkness. **"Watch out!"** Mitsuru warned us "**I detect a shadow in front of you." **

"Really?" I replied in English. "I never would have guessed." It was vital that she got the sarcasm.

"**Was that Sarcasm, Arisoto, or were you just slipping into your native tongue to make battle easier for yourself?"**

I shrugged, rushing forward. "Probably both!" I answered stabbing the shadow in the back. It exploded.

And it's all in my eye. What a great start to the first scrap of the evening.


	11. Rebuild 011

"Woah!" I shouted, jumping back. The Shadow had suddenly grown a blue mask.

I've killed three of these before, so I reckoned that I could kill this one before the others caught up.

Mitsuru started talking as I put my Evoker to my skull. **"Do you want me to go over the basics of-"**

"ORPHEUS!"

**BANG**

Orpheus strummed his lyre and the Maya caught fire. "Not dead yet?" I asked, stabbing it in the eye. Now it exploded for real.

**"What a stunning victory!" **Mitsuru said just as Junpei and Yukari caught up.

"Damn man…" Junpei whistled. "I see what Akihiko-senpai was talking about now."

"Next one's all yours." I offered. "Come on."

* * *

We moved together this time, and found a staircase. **"Do you see it?" **Mitsuru asked us. **"A staircase is the only way to proceed to the next floor. I can't allow you to go any higher today, but please remember about it next time."**

Fair enough. Let's go this way.

**"There's another Shadow ahead of you!"** Mitsuru again. **"You'll be at a disadvantage if the enemy gets the first hit in, so try to surprise your opponents and strike first."**

I could see it easily. Right now it was looking away, but it'd turn round and attack if I went for it. "Yukari, you shoot it, me and Junpei will go for it, then you come help when you can." I ordered. "Junpei, I want you to get the first hit in, since you have the bigger sword."

"Got it." Yukari nodded

"Oh, Yeah!" Junpei shouted.

Idiot. Now it's heard us.

Sure enough, the Shadow turned around and charged.

"Yukari..!" I hissed.

"HUH!" An arrow flew past out heads and it hit the Shadow right between the eyes. Junpei ran for the exploding shadow.

"Nice shot." I remarked, chasing after Junpei. There were two Mayas this time, and Junpei had already done some serious damage to one of them, damn near cleaving it in half with a couple of frantic swings. Well, good thing to know he really did pick some things up from our spar the other day.

**"With my power, I can analyse an enemy to determine its weaknesses and strengths." **

"Really Mitsuru?" I asked as I stabbed. "Why don't you then-ARGH!"

Damn, that attack got me good. I kicked the Shadow off me, clutching my chest. "Or would that be too helpful?" I asked, not happy about how moist my hand felt.

It felt warm.

**"They're called Cowardly Mayas."** Mitsuru sounded mad. **"Magician shadows like them are usually weak against fire."**

"HERMES!" Junpei shouted as he fired his Evoker, and both shadows were burned to ashes.

I looked at Junpei, who was grinning.

His persona's fire was stronger than mine.

While Junpei gloated to Yukari, I remembered something.

Orpheus once travelled down to Tartarus to retrieve his love from Hades. After impressing the lord of the underworld with his music, Orpheus was allowed to return to the surface with his wife, as long as he didn't look at her until they left the underworld.

Once he saw sunlight, he forgot the rules and looked back to tell her that they were nearly there. Hermes, the messenger of the gods, flew up and stole her away, trapping her in the underworld forever.

Hermes and Orpheus didn't get on well after that trip into Tartarus, since Orpheus went insane and Hermes got played as the villain. Better keep an eye on him.

Mitsuru pulled me out of my thoughts. **"There seems to be another shadow just around the corner."** she said.** "Approach carefully to avoid being spotted."**

"Right." I replied, getting up. "Guh…" damn, that Shadow managed to get a decent hit in.

"Aw, our fearless leader hurt?" Junpei was definitely acting cocky. Glancing at him, I could now see his Persona hovering behind him, barely visible. Hermes. Magician Arcana. Strong to fire, weak to wind, knows Agi and Cleave.

Wait, Magician Arcana?

"_Hm… The Magician… Your overconfidence is your weakness…"_

Ah. That's what he meant. I looked at Yukari, who was looking at my wound with horror. I couldn't see her persona, so I looked down at my chest.

Beggary, that's actually pretty bad. I am so thankful for my pain tolerance.

"Hey, what's taking so long?" Junpei asked as he approached. "Just patch him up an HOLY CRAP THAT'S NOT GOOD!"

Yukari looked close to tears. "Th-this is my fault…"

Eh? "No it's not." I told her, rummaging through my bag for one of those magic healing gems Mitsuru gave us.

"Yes it is…" Yukari clutched at her evoker. "All because I didn't help you two fight… IO!"

**BLAM**

A cows head appeared when she pulled the trigger.

Well, a cows head with a woman chained to it.

I'm pretty descriptive for someone bleeding to death.

Actually, not anymore, the wound's closing up.

I looked at Yukari, and now I see her Persona. Io. Lovers Arcana. Strong to wind, weak to electricity. Skills are Dia, Patra and, now, Garu.

And here's me with Bash and Agi, with two weaknesses.

I got up to my feet. "Thanks. Let's go."

* * *

Poking my head around the corner, I saw the next Shadow Cluster.

That's what I'm calling them now. Shadow Clusters. They look like the Maya's, but without a mask, and stabbing it will make it split into several other Shadows.

This Shadow Cluster was bigger than the other two. Considering the sizes of the first two, I reckoned that this one would have three shadows it. "Junpei? Yukari?" I asked. "Hear me out."

The other two turned to me as I explained my plan.

* * *

"It'll never work man." Junpei warned.

"Trust me Junpei." I said with a grin. "It will."

With that I charged forward, throwing my sword into the shadow. As it exploded, I ran right into the middle of the explosion, and I was surrounded by three Cowardly Maya.

Just as planned.

My sword lay on the ground, and the three Shadows looked around for their attacker. Grinning, I put the Evoker to my head, pulling the trigger three times. Orpheus came forth, playing a fairly aggressive tune as the three Shadows caught fire, one after the other.

They didn't stand a chance. "NOW!" I shouted, grabbing my sword and shoving it into one of the Shadows back. Yukari and Junpei rushed forward, finishing off the remaining two.

It was almost murder.

I looked within myself to analyse my strength. Yukari's still stronger than me.

I sighed, and then some cards appeared in front of me, time slowing down around me – if I had to guess, this was probably all in my head. Five glass cards, one with a sword, one with a cup, one with a coin, a plant on the fourth, and the last one had a picture of a blue woman. The five cards flipped over and shuffled. Pretty easy, so I picked the woman, sensing it was different from the others.

_I am Apsaras. I look forward to working with you._

Apsaras. Priestess Arcana. Resists ice, weak to slash attacks. Only skill was Bufu, an Ice attack.

I also felt Orpheus grow stronger. Grin. "Come on guys." I said, leading the way.

I'd only just stepped into the hallway when a huge Shadow Cluster jumped us, exploding as it touched me. However, this time, the four Shadows got to call the shots.

Yukari and Junpei were each shoved into the wall by a Shadow, leaving the other two to ram me into the wall.

I grunted and kicked back against their attacks. **"A-are you alright?"** Mitsuru shouted. **"Hold on, I'm coming!"**

I wormed my Evoker hand out of the Shadow and held it to my head.**  
**

_By summoning Orpheus and Apsaras together, you can use the fusion skill Cadenza._

Spooky voices give interesting advice.

Hey, anything was good so, imagining them both, I pulled the trigger, and suddenly felt calm and the Shadows backed off. I felt a huge surge of energy, and threw it into the air.

No personas appeared, but we all heard a beautiful, invigorating melody. Suddenly, our wounds were mostly healed, but that wasn't all.

All of the Shadows had slowed down.

No, that wasn't it.

We were faster.

I easily dodged the Shadow's next attack.

It looked like it was underwater.

Using its momentum to power my sword was easy.

Too easy. In fact, the four Shadows all went down in record time thanks to our increased speed, despite the fact that they almost just killed us.

I saw the cards in my head again, this time collecting a persona called 'Pixie' of the Lovers Arcana, and time went back to normal.

"Wh-What was that?" Yukari panted. She and Junpei both seemed shocked.

**"Arisoto Kun somehow managed to cast Masukukaja and used a healing skill on you all, but I'm curious."** Mitsuru explained, yet really interested at the same time. **"Orpheus has neither of those skills. How did you do it?"**

I shrugged. Putting the evoker to my head, I felt my mind shift and heard the sound of breaking glass.

This is what Igor meant. "Apsaras."

**BLAM**

I imagined everyone's face as the Hindu goddess appeared and strummed a short melody, covering part of the wall I was facing with ice.

"What the hell man?" Junpei was the first to speak. "I thought your Persona was Orpheus!"

I felt my mind change and heard glass break again as I changed persona. "Orpheus!", and the ice melted at his riff.

**"This… This isn't possible…" **Mitsuru seemed amazed. **"No-one can have multiple persona, it makes no sense!"**

I shrugged. "Technically, I can only use one at a time, but I can switch between the ones I've got." I said.

"Any others apart from those two?" Junpei asked.

"So far, only this." The sound of breaking glass echoed again in my mind as I switched to Pixie. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Yukari watch me, just as intrigued as everyone else.

Better not disappoint then. "Pixie!" and I pulled the trigger. My remaining injuries disappeared and Junpei fell on his backside, laughing his arse off.

"Du-dude..." he weezed. "Th-that's hilarious!"

"It's not that funny, Stupei," Yukari snaped, sending him a withering look before looking back up at Pixie. "So that one can heal? Kind of like Io..."

"_Thank_ you Yukari." I said, grinning like it was no big deal. But for some reason I suddenly felt like I saw her in a different light.

Maybe it was because I was now of the same Arcana as her?

Junpei was still laughing though. Can't have that, can we? Glass in my head smashed as I switched to Apsaras. I pulled the trigger again and an icicle appeared above Junpei and fell to the ground, missing him by an inch.

I suddenly felt tired. Not physically, but mentally drained.

**"You should stop wasting your Spirit Points."** Mitsuru warned.** "As you use your persona's skills, your mental strength, or SP, weakens, though some skills weaken you physically." **Mitsuru explained this, but I still thought that I could have used this information beforehand. **"But this is incredible… A persona user who can wield multiple persona… I'll inform the chairman upon our return, but for now, continue exploration"

* * *

**

A few moments after setting off again, Mitsuru spoke again. **"That's odd. Usually, there are more Shadows on the prowl."**

"Hot damn." I groaned, scratching my neck. "More ways to die."**  
**

**"...Well, at least you gained some experience in battle." **She said. Yeah, me, Junpei and Yukari are all roughly the same strength right now. **"Let's go back to the dorm for today. There should be an Access Point somewhere on that floor. You can use it to return to the entrance." **

"So, there's no more shadows on this floor?" I asked.

"**Correct."**

"Cool." I nodded. "Alright gang," I turned to Yukari and Junpei, "Let's split up and look for clues."

* * *

We split up and looked for clues. I found a steel briefcase (Win) full of money (Also win), and Yukari found a couple of medicines, which weren't so much medicines, as drugs that temporarily set our Persona's healing skills into overdrive to heal any injuries.

So, yeah. Not really medicines at all.

"Check it out guys!" Junpei shouted over the radio. "I think I found it!"

"Nice one shaggy." I really needed to know whether they got the Scooby Doo reference or if it was wasted on them. "Let's go."

* * *

They didn't get the Scooby Doo reference. What we did get was a smaller version of the DDR machine downstairs. However, when Junpei stood on it, he disappeared. **"It's alright."** Mitsuru stated. **"Iori just arrived down here."**

Shrugging, I let Yukari step on it first and then I followed.

Teleporting feels weird.

* * *

I appeared on the larger DDR machine on the ground floor. It wasn't glowing like the one I just stepped on, but it had enough room for four passengers (Or players), plus some sort of screen, which wasn't working.

"Welcome back." Mitsuru said. She sounded weird now that I'd gotten used to hearing her over the radio. "So, how was it?"

"Apart from the times where I almost died, no problems." I shrugged.

Mitsuru frowned. "Don't get discouraged." she said. "You completed your task, and that's something to be proud of."

"Oh, I wasn't whining," I replied. "I actually quite enjoyed it." I vaulted over the dance/teleport machine's bar. "Let's go again."

Mitsuru smiled. "Well, if you gained confidence, that's the best thing you could have achieved."

Junpei looked psyched. "Man…" he chuckled darkly. "I never knew I had that kind of power… but damn…" Junpei sat on the stairs. "I'm beat…"

Yukari sighed. "That's cuz you were bouncin' around like a little kid."

Junpei looked up. "You look pretty tired yourself Yuka-Tan."

Yukari looked thoughtful. "I'm still trying to catch my breath actually…"

Mitsuru folded her arms. "That's an affect of the dark hour; you'll become fatigued more easily."

"Now do you see why I 'tortured' you on Sunday?" I told Junpei.

"Yeah yeah…" Junpei waved his hand dismissively. "Thanks and all that…"

I shrugged. "Don't worry, you'll adapt." I told him. "I barely notice it nowadays."

Mitsuru nodded. "But I'm surprised…" she said. "You all did much better than I expected… You all displayed an alarming use of tactics and maturity, although Akihiko and I may have been forced to help you if it wasn't for your ability Arisoto."

I nodded. "It won't happen again."

"Then I have no complaints." Mitsuru said, turning to our injured member. "At this rate, they'll catch up to you in no time Akihiko."

He smiled. "Heh, I doubt that."

I heard glass break and time stopped. The Fool card appeared again.

_Thou art I... And I am thou... Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to make a Persona of the Fool Arcana..._

Trippy.

Time started again, but it looked like I was the only one that noticed it stopped in the first place.

I really needed to talk to Igor again.


	12. Rebuild 012

Next day I was still pretty tired, so I was fairly late leaving the dorm that morning. Junpei had already left sometime between the others leaving for their club activities, and me leaving. Guess Junpei was used to rushing out of the door.

Actually, it's not fair to blame them for me being late, or to blame me being tired. At breakfast, I noticed that I was the only one wearing actual school uniform.

Turns out we're allowed to play around with our uniform. Akihiko had that red tank-top, Junpei has his hat and blue shirt, Yukari has a pink cardigan, And Mitsuru… well, it worked as _a_ school uniform, just not ours.

So why should I be left out?

So, yeah. The reason I was late was because I was picking out one of my various business ties to replace the ribbon we normally wore. I eventually settled for my old school tie; one with grey and red stripes.

The weight feels better than some flimsy ribbon.

I never thought of it before, but now that I'm wearing it outside of my old school uniform, it actually looks fairly badass.

This might very well be one of the better idea's have had lately.

* * *

"Hey, Minato-kun!" someone shouted. "Nice tie!"

Aaand now I'm getting compliments from guys off the street. Maybe this wasn't such a good - Oh, wait, I know him. What's his name from the other day, Junpei's friend.

"Remember me?" he asked. "Kenji Tomochika? We met on the first day."

Oh, yeah, him. Magician Arcana. "Yeah, I remember. 'Sup?"

"Man, I knew it." he laughed. "I heard from Junpei that you're pretty close with Yukari-san… what's up with that?" I didn't get to answer him, because he interrupted me as I drew breath. "Well, I guess it doesn't matter. I'm looking for someone with a bit more experience anyways." Dude, wouldn't stand a cat's chance in a small child's microwave with Yukari.

To be fair, I knew that Yukari wasn't someone with 'Experience'. In my book, there are two kinds of women with Experience; Older women, and Sluts. And by Older, I don't mean like Mitsuru.

So either this guy has weird tastes or he has no idea what he's talking about.

"Like her, man." Kenji explained, wolf-calling.

I followed his gaze to a woman that looked like a teacher. Dude, she must be twice our age… oh, that's what you meant.

I would have placed my money on 'no idea what he's talking about', but apparently I would have lost that bet.

My friend Kenji is a MILF Hunter.

"Anyways, come on." he laughed. "We have the morning assembly."

Ah, Crap. "Hey, Kenji, can you do me a favour?"

"Huh?" he asked. "Sure, what is it?"

* * *

I zoned out during the assembly. No way was I listening to all that in translator mode. I perked up when Mitsuru came onto the stage, saying "Arigatou." Yukari leaned forward, putting her head between mine and Junpei's. Translator on.

"So, she did get elected… Hardly surprising really, I mean she IS the most popular girl in the school."

Junpei nodded. "You can say that again." He smiled wistfully. "There's like some kind of aura around her!"

"What colour?" I asked.

"Red." Ah, Junpei was catching onto my madness. "Besides, her family owns the school, right?"

"Yeah," Yukari confirmed. "I try not to think about it."

* * *

I didn't even bother listening to Mitsuru's speech, but judging from the applause, I missed something good.

"Dang…" Junpei said afterwards, "That was freaking amazing. So," he turned to me, "You have any idea what she just said?"

"I wasn't listening." I shrugged.

"Dude!" both Junpei and Yukari were taken aback. "You're such a rebel…"

Well, yeah. I've been breaking into gangster's cars since I was ten. They broke my arm once, but so worth it.

* * *

I actually tracked down Mitsuru during lunch and asked her for a translation of her speech, saying I had difficulty translating what she said. Seemed a decent excuse, judging from Junpei and Yukari's reactions. Mitsuru showed mixed emotions- part disappointment in my difficulty (CoughLazinessCough) with Japanese, and part pleased at me coming to ask her for a translation.

I was actually disappointed. Maybe it was lost in translation, but basically what she was telling us was to take a look at ourselves, change our lives to fit the needs of the school, and make the most of our selves. She mentioned achieving our own goals as if it was an afterthought.

I gave the paraphrased version to Junpei later on, and he was just as unimpressed as I was. Just goes to show, the way you word something can really change what people hear.

* * *

Kenji grabbed me after class. He noted down what was covered in assembly for me, and in return, I was treating him to ramen. Apparently some of the sports clubs were accepting new members soon. I was torn between Running, Swimming, and KENDOKENDOKEN! Kendo.

Hey, if you write down lots of KENDO's one after the other without spaces, it looks like KENDOKEN!

I liked Street Fighter. I suck at it, but I like Street Fighter.

* * *

We were walking down the yard when we saw Akihiko surrounded by a Horde of Fangirls.

I thought that only happened on the internet.

"Man, I thought you only saw girls flock like that on TV…"

I turned around. Junpei. Oh, he is NOT getting a free meal.

Thankfully, he didn't notice Kenji. "Have you noticed how popular Akihiko-san is with the ladies?" Junpei asked.

It's kinda hard to miss it actually. The sight of the horde, the screeching, the heavy perfume, it's an assault on multiple senses.

"Man, take a look at that... I didn't use to talk to him much, but now I've got a good excuse." Junpei grinned. "I know he's the captain of the boxing team, but... Who woulda thought he'd be such a chick magnet!"

Normally, I'd agree, except for a captain of a boxing team, Akihiko was fairly skinny. His muscles were compact, but strong. Plus the unusual hair colour and the aloof attitude, and bam! Instant Final Fantasy Lead, AKA Fangirl Bait.

Akihiko saw us and waved. "Hey, Junpei-kun! Minato-kun!" he shouted. "You free this afternoon?"

Kenji noticed he wasn't invited. "You owe me a bowl of ramen tomorrow." He said, walking off. "Later!"

He left before the fangirls arrived. Akihiko waded through them. "I want the two of you to meet me at the police station at Paulownia mall." He told us. "You know where it is right? I'll see you there."

Junpei almost fainted. "Wait, we're not hanging out with your friends?" he asked with disappointment.

"Who, these girls?" Akihiko shook his head, sticking his thumb over his shoulder. "I don't even know their names." Yep, just like member of the band. "They talk so much they give me a headache…" Standard Shoujo love interest.

"Aww… Akihiko Senpai!"

"Why can't you be more friendly?"

Akihiko walked off. "Whatever…"

Wow, I'm surprised he hasn't been ripped limb from limb and built into shrines yet. He's approximately one horse, one cape, and one castle away from being a giddy schoolgirls dreamboat. I do hope I don't end up like that.

"Man… How can he not know their names?" Junpei asked.

He didn't seem to understand the rule: your desire for women is inversely proportional to your ability to get them.

"Dude… is Akihiko-senpai blind?" he asked. "Or just plain dumb? Those chicks were all over him!"

Or not interested, ever consider that?

"Man… I'm so jealous…" he whined. And that's why you'll never get a girlfriend in high school. Sucks to be you.

"Whelp," Junpei added, perking up, "He said Paulownia Mall right? Let's go."

* * *

Junpei practically ran to the mall, but he kept stopping to let me catch up. No way was I running when I was listening to music.

"Dude, take the headphones out and come on!"

_I never felt like… so miserable_

"Hurry up man! He's waiting!"

_I never felt like thinking this would last forever_

"Minato Kun" Junpei told me, pulling out a headphone. "AKIHIKO-SENPAI IS WAITING!"

"And?" I asked. "He'll still be waiting when we get there." _Baby stay with me_

Junpei looked at me like I was insane. _You gotta tell me your love came all over me_

I'm loving this album, though I am being a dick to Junpei.

* * *

We got to the police station fairly quickly, although it seemed slower because of Junpei's whining. I hit the pause button on my MP3 as we entered _(Just like every cowboy, sings a sad, sad-) _and Akihiko turned to us.

"Perfect timing." Akihiko said. See Junpei? We got here at the perfect time. "This is Officer Kurosawa. He helps keep our squad equipped." Hey, nice to meet you. "And this-" He handed a wad of cash each to me and Junpei.

5,000 yen, sweet! That's like, what, 30 quid?

Wait, £30? That's barely $50 American dollars. Actually, that's a lot when you consider Junpei got the same as me.

Plus, free cash is free cash, so I pocketed it without complaining.

"You can't fight empty handed." Akihiko told us. "Officer Kurosawa here has connections… But these things still cost money."

"Of course they do." The policeman told us. "Nothing in this world comes without a price."

"I realise that." Akihiko replied, turning for the door. "Well, I'll see you guys later."

Not yet you don't. "Wait, Akihiko!" I called after him.

"Yeah Minato-kun?" he asked.

So, he's cool with me not calling him Senpai. That's good. "Just thought, shouldn't we all have each other's phone numbers?" I asked him. "In case we need something?"

There was that awkward silence you get when someone points out the blind stinking obvious. Me, Akihiko and Junpei exchanged numbers and emails, and Akihiko gave us Mitsuru's number.

So, apparently, in Japan, there's no text messaging. Instead you have a phone number for your phone calls, and you send emails to each other like you would texts. Junpei showed me how to synch my phone up with my email, and we added each other's addresses to our phones.

I made a note to get Yukari's number later.

"I've been informed about you two." Officer Kurosawa told us as Akihiko left." My job is to maintain peace in this city, regardless of the circumstances." I began typing an email with the phone in my pocket; an amazingly useful skill, I recommend learning it. "I'm just an ordinary police officer, but it doesn't take a genius to know something strange is going on here. I'm only doing what I think is right."

_What's up with this guy's weapons?_ I hit send, as Junpei began looking at his swords. I hung back until I got a reply:

_strngr + hv abltsy tht nly prsna usr cn c / use. armr 2. _

I sighed at Akihiko's response. Was it so hard to spell right when emailing? I did it without even looking! But hey, mad skillz.

Maybe this guy has a fire sword or something.

* * *

No such luck, but he did have a decent shortsword called the Gladius. Looking at it, apparently it had an advantage over Empress Shadow's. I wonder what would happen if I were to challenge Mitsuru with this…

"Dude, check it out!" Junpei was swinging a new sword around. "The Kishido Blade! If I cut someone with it, they get angry!"

…

Just...

Man. That's Junpei all over.

Even when he's saying something accurate, he sounds like an idiot.

Okay, so the sword has an ability that may make the enemy go Berserk. (The capital B is because apparently they actually turn red and steam), but the way you just worded it… sigh.

I turned back to Kurosawa. "You accept part exchange?" he nodded, so I whipped my shortsword out from beneath my jacket.

"That'll be 3000 Yen, including the sword."

"What, for this sword? It's worth more than 400 Yen!" Personally, I reckon it's worth 1000 to him. "1500 and the sword for the Gladius."

"3000 and your sword for the Gladius." Kurosawa repeated.

"1750" I raised.

"2500" He lowered

"2000" I offered.

"Done."

… Wow, I that went better than I thought. I swapped the swords, and bought a Camo Shirt while I was at it.

* * *

Well, that spent all the money Akihiko gave me. Junpei, however, sold his fake katana and pocketed the rest of the money. On the way out, he was complaining how he wasn't given enough money, when something caught my eye.

"Hey, Junpei, I'll see you later."

"Huh? You doing something?"

"Yeah…" there was a blue light coming from the alleyway. "British things."

"What, drink cups of tea, stuff like that?"

"Sure, why not. Cheerio." It was vital he bought my excuse as I headed down the alleyway.

There, like I thought, was a blue door just like the one from before. Grabbing the velvet key, I stepped inside.

* * *

"Ah, there you are." Igor welcomed.

I took my seat opposite him. "Afternoon Igor. Elizabeth."

"Hello again" Elizabeth said with a slight smile. "Welcome back to the Velvet Room."

"Well…" Igor began, "I suppose it's time for me to explain what I really do here."

About bloody time.

Igor's smile grew at my impatience. As one people-reader to another, he's good. "Don't worry." he chuckled. "This shall be worth the wait. It is my job to create new Personae."

"…Sweet…"

"Indeed," Igor replied, "But in order to do so, I must fuse your Persona cards together. In other words..."

"You will take multiple Personae from me and fuse them into one new one." I deducted.

Igor grinned. "Precisely."

I frowned. "Now why the hell would I do that?" I asked.

Igor smirked. "When a new Persona is created, it tends to be a higher level than the ones that were fused."

That shut me up. Igor continued, saying; "However, the Personae that are used as fusion material are lost forever." He waved a hand nonchalantly. "Since the process requires multiple Personae, you will be left with fewer than you had before..."

Igor smiled as I thought about this. "Which powers will you forsake in order to obtain new ones? It is up to you to decide…"

Igor continued; "Furthermore, depending on the Arcana, you may be able to create a stronger Persona if you have established a corresponding Social Link."

"_Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to make a Persona of the Fool Arcana…_" I said, quoting the spooky voices in my head.

"Precisely." Igor answered. "If you were to fuse a Persona of the Fool Arcana, it would grow in strength because of your bond with your teammates." I sat up and paid attention. "Persona is the power of your soul, which thrives on the bonds you have with others. Thus, it is only natural that Social Links affect the strength of your Personae." I nodded. "If you have established a Social Link of the same Arcana as the Persona you wish to create..." Igor's smile turned wicked."...then that Persona will receive power from the Social Link and level up." I like that kind of wicked smile.

"The amount of power it will receive depends on the level of the Social Link." Igor elaborated. "In some cases, your Persona may even surpass your own level." Igor chuckled. I'm not sure about this new kind of wicked. "Do you understand now how important Social Links are to Persona-users such as yourself?"

Basically, I'm going to legitimately use the power of friendship to smite eldritch monsters, with is pretty sweet all things considered.

"What about the others?" I asked. "They can only hold one Persona-"

"Thus, my services would be useless to them." Igor interrupted. "However, their bonds to others still affect their own Persona in other ways."

I nodded. "So do fused Persona only have increased strength?" I asked.

Igor grinned. "Not at all." he said. "A Persona created through fusion may inherit the skills possessed by its precursors. In other words…"

"It's possible to give a Persona skills that it could never learn on its own…" I realised with a smirk.

"Indeed." Igor seemed to like how quick I was catching on. "The mechanism of skill inheritance is not completely understood... but there are three key points I'd like to share with you."

I nodded, and Igor explained. "First, the skills to be inherited change every time you select a Persona for fusion.  
"Second, the chance of a skill being inherited depends on what the expected Persona is…" Igor paused. "...I can give you more details on this some other time.  
"Lastly, the more skills the original Personae possess, the more skills the resulting Persona will inherit... Please remember this."

"Thanks." I looked within myself. I had enough room for three more Personae. "I can get more Persona to fuse with be doing battles with the Shadows, right?" I asked.

"That is correct." he confirmed.

I smiled. "I'll see you later." I told him.

This is gonna be fun.


	13. Rebuild 013

"Welcome back." Mitsuru greeted me once I returned to the dorm. " Perfect timing actually, I'd like to speak with you a moment regarding our exploration of Tartarus."

"So would I." I replied, vaulting over the couch and treating her to my Gendo pose special. "You go first."

"Very well." she said with a nod. "Akihiko is still on the mend, so for now, I'd like you to lead the team."

"Really?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. I'm actually not all that surprised, this always happens.

Not the 'leading teams of teenagers against eldritch abominations' thing. The whole 'giving control to me' thing.

Mitsuru nodded. "You never know when a powerful enemy might appear, like the one you faced the other week." she said. "It's best to be prepared, or else you may find yourself in a difficult situation."

Nod. "I agree." I told her. "So, when do we go next?"

"That's up to you." she said.

"Eh?" She's leaving the schedule to me?

Mitsuru smiled slightly. "Whenever you'd like to explore Tartarus, just let me know, and I'll gather everyone there." she explained. "Also, since I'm sure there are other things you need to take care of," Mitsuru turned back to the book she was reading "You may go out at night if you need to."

I wasn't aware that I wasn't allowed out at night in the first place. "How's tonight sound for a venture into adventure?" I asked.

Mitsuru's head snapped back so fast I thought she might have gotten whiplash. "Tonight?" she shouted. "B-but you just went yesterday!"

I nodded. "I have a theory about my power and besides…" I told her, flashing my patented winning smile. "…Don't we want to find out how high we can get?"

"You're insane…" Mitsuru turned back to her book. "Alright, but don't blame me if you're unwell tomorrow."

Grin.

* * *

So, five hours later and it was the Dark Hour, and four floors later and I had Orpheus, Apsaras, Forneus, Angel, Omoikane and Alp.

And at the end of this corridor are three huge shapes flitting in the darkness.

Crap. Bigger Shadows.

I really wanted to get back to the ground floor so I could fuse these things while everyone caught their breath, when I saw a DDR teleporter that was just like the one downstairs.

**"****Hm?"** Mitsuru asked.** "Excuse moi, but please could you have a look at that thing?"**

I did and as soon as I stepped on it, I was teleported back to ground.

Only now the ground teleporter was glowing.

And the control panel was working.

* * *

Yukari and Junpei appeared beside me. "It looks like we can teleport _up_ to certain floors once we reach them…" Mitsuru said.

Yukari was surprised, thin breathed a sigh of relief as Junpei punched the air. But I was already gone, headed straight for the Velvet Room.

* * *

"Welcome." Igor grinned. "I wasn't expecting you so soon."

"Me neither." I told Igor. I held my hand out and, willing for their existence, six cards appeared. "What can I get for these?" I asked Igor, handing him four of the six cards.

"Oh? You aren't interested in fusing Orpheus or Apsaras?"

I shook my head. "Together they can use the Cadenza. I want to hold on to that for as long as I can."

"A wise decision." Igor looked at my cards. "Hm... If you were to fuse Omoikane and Alp, you would be able to create the level 10 Jack Frost."

"Oh!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "I- I really like that Persona…" She seemed excited. "I'll give you a rare armour if you can create one with the skill Dia."

"Is that possible?"

Igor grinned. "Indeed. Any other skills you would like your Jack Frost to learn?"

"Zio." I said. "Dia and Zio."

Igor's grin grew as he arranged the cards. "Very well." He raised his cards into the air and the cards rose, fusing in a bright light. Then something appeared.

"I'm Jack Frost! Nice to meetcha! Hee Ho!"

"Nice to meet you too." I replied as it vanished, and a card bearing its image appeared on the table. Taking it, I asked Elizabeth "Is this alright?"

"Wonderful…" She answered. "Here is your reward." She gave me a small box. Opening it, I found… what the hell is this?

"This is the high cut armour. I believe that there is a Men's version of it somewhere within the tower."

What was so bad about it? Well, ever seen Return of the Jedi? Like that, only kinkier. And red. And yet…

It had better defensive power than my armour by a clear mile. It provides very little coverage, but... well, remember when I talked about our Personae amping up our physical power? This armour would more make the wearer able to shrug off axes.

I wondered how I could talk Yukari into wearing it.

Not that I'm into any of that (Although it would be hot), it would seriously give us a huge advantage in battle.

Anyway, I then fused Angel and Forneus to make Lilim, who was basically a gorgeous brunette with devil wings in a tiny white skintight... thing that covered just as much as the High Cut Armour, and she could kick all kinds of arse, seeing as she could use Agi (fire), Zio (electric), Bufu (ice), and Garu (wind) skills, as well as a skill called Marin Karin that would Charm the enemy.

Remember how Junpei's sword can make an enemy go Berserk? Which basically meant that they were so angry that they couldn't think straight, and they couldn't use any skills? Well, Charm is kinda like that. You think that your enemies are your allies and your allies are your enemies.

Yep. This'll be fun.

So I have one Persona that can use pretty much any skill I like, one that can hit everything incredibly hard with ice, and two others that will make us super fast.

Just need to do one more thing and we will kick all kinds of ass.

* * *

"No way." Yukari stated flatly. "Uh-uh. Not a chance."

"Look, Yukari, we've got three huge enemies at once that we have to fight, and this is the best armour we have!" I reasoned.

"Why the hell were you even carrying that around anyways?" she shouted.

"I told you, I literally got it a few seconds ago." I told her.

"And how do you explain that?" she shouted.

So, the argument continued.

I was eventually able to leave it to Junpei to talk Yukari round and I went to go talk to Mitsuru. "So, what's your take on the situation?" I asked her.

"Strategically, you are correct, but I can understand Takeba's perspective as well." she said.

I sighed. "So tell me about these shadows then."

"They are called Venus Eagles." she explained. "They are of the Empress Arcana and are weak against Ice."

…Wow.

I looked at my Gladius.

And I looked at Jack Frost.

I couldn't be more prepared for this if I had known about this before hand.

I walked over to the teleporter pad and, checking that Yukari and Junpei were still arguing about the armour, I hit the button for floor five.

* * *

**"Are you sure about this Arisoto?"** Mitsuru asked.

I put the Evoker to my temple and pulled the trigger twice to cast Cadenza. "Let's find out." I told her, putting the gun to my head again. "JACK FROST!" I shouted, pulling the trigger and casing Mabufu.

The little guy flew down the corridor, laughing madly as the three birds's wings froze and they fell to the ground.

Oh hells yes.

I switched to Apsaras. "RAKUNDA!" I shouted, pulling the trigger. The water spirit fell on the closest eagle and slammed a burst of water into its back, and it cawed, trying to move its frozen wings.

I wasn't having any of that, so I rammed the Gladius through its eye and slashed upwards, through its mask.

The Rakunda reduced the mask's durability to something like paper maché, so none of that problem from the Magician's buddies here.

There was a caw, and one of the Venus Eagles rose into the air, having broken free of its ice. I turned to face it as enemy one collapsed to black mush, and then I grinned.

I put the Evoker to my head. "JACK FROST!" I shouted, casting another Mabufu. The flying bird fell back to the ground, and the other surviving one was completely frozen over.

I walked up to the flyer and slashed my blade through its mask, killing it instantly.

That just leaves the Christmas turkey.

I'm not sure how to attack an ice cube- no, no wait, I know exactly how to do this.

I stabbed the Gladius into the ice, pulled it out and shoved one of the explosive gems Mitsuru put in the bag she gave us as far into the crack as I could.

Then I backed the hell away and took cover before putting the Evoker to my head. "LILIM!" I shouted, pulling the trigger to launch an Agi into the hole.

See, if you explode something in ice, it doesn't melt.

It explodes.

Anything frozen in exploding ice gets broken.

I knew I won when two cards appeared in my head, one with a blue cup, and one with an angry red comma.

The second sign that I won was that an Empress mask skidded across the ground and stopped by my feet.

Hells yeah.

* * *

When I got back downstairs, Yukari and Junpei were still at it. So, I put the Empress mask over my face and shouted "Boo!"

While I didn't shock anyone, I got their attention. "While you were all arguing, I just killed them all by myself." I said, lowering the mask to reveal my angry face, courtesy of Ara Mitama. "Explain that!"

That did shock people.

"He used two new Personae and brought all three of the Shadows to the ground, before killing them while they were incapacitated." Mitsuru explained to Yukari and Junpei. "I gave him support, but the fact remains that he did this by himself."

I nodded. "Thanks for the help guys." I said scathingly.

I looked at the clock while someone tried to apologise. I'd figure that, since it's the only clock that works during the dark hour, it must show the passage of time in here. "We've got about twenty minutes left." I said, cutting someone off. "We can probably make some headway before we run out of time if Yukari puts on the armour…" I headed for the Velvet Room. "Wear your clothes over the damn armour if you want. I'll be staring off over here."

* * *

We managed to make it to the seventh floor before we ran out of time, but I did some Persona fusion before leaving, so now I had a fairly decent team within myself.

Apparently now I can hold up to eight Persona. I've only got seven on me now though. Orpheus, Apsaras, Lilim, Jack Frost, Nigi Matima, Chimera and Archangel. On top of that, Lilim learnt Mudo, a dark skill, and Archangel's got Hama, a light skill, and Holy Arrow, so I've got all the bases covered in this magical game of rock-paper-scissors.

However, now we're all wrecked. No surprise, since I made us go through that two nights in a row, one night being our first time, and the second night doing seven times as much. Yukari in particular looked like crap, but I'm sure she'll be fine.

* * *

Next day, Kenji grabbed me straight after school and took me to a place called 'Hagakure' that apparently served, in Kenji's words, "Sweet Ramen", since I owed him a meal.

As far as I knew, ramen came in pots and was cooked in the microwave, but apparently I was wrong. It was actually pretty good.

Kenji clearly thought so. "See what I mean? Was I right, or was I right?" he asked me, in between mouthfuls. "This ramen tastes great doesn't it? Bet they put in some secret spice… something no other ramen shop uses… oh, sorry," He said, suddenly remembering I was there, "I get so geeked up when I eat here. "

I agreed with him, but all I felt like saying was "Shut up and eat." I added a grin to take the edge off though. No need to be rude.

"Yeah man, you're right!" he grinned. Wow, sometimes the surly thing to say is the right thing to say. "If we talk too much, the noodles will get soggy and the soup will get cold… You're a man who appreciates his food!" And my Music, and my weapons, and my fights, and my… you know what? I appreciate a lot of things.

I told him this, and he laughed.

"I hear ya man." he chuckled. "By the way, I hear you and Yukari-san are pretty close."

"I guess we are fairly close for two people who just met." I shrugged. "Why?"

Kenji whistled. "Damn boy, you move fast." he said. "Can't blame you though, a man's gotta be aggressive nowadays." Actually, Yukari wasn't in school this afternoon... "Hey, let's hang out after school again sometime!" I wonder if she's ill... "We'll get some food and I'll tell you all about my secret plan…" I should probably stop by the chemists on the way back to the dorm... "Wait 'till you hear it dude, you're gonna flip!"

"Oh, Sure." I replied. I wasn't really listening, but I got the jist of what he was saying.

SMASH

_Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Magician Arcana..._

Ah, these were the social links Igor was talking about.

It was starting to get dark, so I stood up "Listen, Kenji, I gotta go."

"Huh? Oh sure…" Kenji looked at his watch "Oh man, it's already this late? I missed my favourite TV show!" Kenji sighed. "Man, you are one serious dude… well, later!"

* * *

It was a good thing I did stop by the chemists/pharmacists on the way back, because the first thing Mitsuru asked me when I returned was if I'd been monitoring my condition. Junpei was knackered, and Yukari was actually sick.

After dropping my school bag off in my room, I took the stuff I got from Aohige, the pharmacist, and went straight up to Yukari's room.

The man knew his stuff alright. I knocked on the door, and she told me to come in.

Dude, she looked like hell. My diagnosis was the man flu; a disease that drains you mentally as well as physically. It's really half common cold, half flu, and half in your head.

That's 150% sickness right there, and to top it off, the tougher you are, the more it shuts you down.

"I'm sorry…" I told her.

Yukari seemed puzzled. "What for?"

"It's my fault you're like this…"

"No it's n-"

"Yes it is." I interrupted her. "I made us all keep going even though the two of you were still adapting to the Dark Hour. I didn't think about anyone other that myself, and this is what happened."

I was actually pretty upset. This was the first time something like this had happened to me all year, and it felt awful.

_I, Minato Arisoto, give my word that I will take full responsibility for the consequences of my decisions._

Well, I'm gonna take the responsibility here like you wouldn't believe it. I opened the bag. Fresh Orange Juice, Lemsip, Honey, and all the other decent flu remedies I could get my hands on. I put them by her bedside table, and picked up her phone, exchanging mine and her phone numbers, setting myself to Speed Dial Five, putting the phone next to all the stuff I had brought. "You need anything, just call me." I told her. "I'll be here as soon as I can."

"You- you didn't have to-"

"I know," I answered her as I left. "I choose to."

I closed the door behind me.

...

Huh, no social link. You'd think that if hanging out with Kenji would spark one, then my conversation with Yukari would've started a social link with her.

Well, this makes life easier for me. Now I don't feel guilty for manipulating teammates for power.

* * *

Junpei had an early night that night, but I was still raring to go, so Mitsuru offered to let me go on patrol in place of Akihiko.

See, Tartarus screws with people during the Dark Hour. Sometimes, people don't turn into coffins and are in the Dark Hour without a Persona.

Sometimes, their Shadow will wake up with them, and they'll become one of the Lost. Sometimes, they'll get attacked by a Shadow that's just prowling around.

So I run around the city while Mitsuru talks to me and tries to track them down.

"So, don't you get tired?" I asked her while looking over the ledge of a building. "Doing this every night?"

**"It's not every night."** she said in my ear. **"Besides, I grew up experiencing the Dark Hour. I've adapted almost as well as you appear to have."**

I laughed. "My cousin got me into Parkour." I told her. "The martial art of running away. It's pretty fun."

**"I see."** Mitsuru said. **"There's a Shadow Cluster below you. Take it out."  
**

I nodded, drawing the Gladius and hopped over the ledge, landing on the fire escape. "ARCHANGEL!" I shouted, summoning the knight to stab the cluster as I jumped down each flight with a clang. The Shadow split into two Cowardly Maya's and a floating tentacle thing with a floating book in a cage.

**"That's a Muttering Tiara."** Mitsuru explained. **"Use Agi skills to take it out alongside the Mayas."**

"Thanks." I said, switching to Lilim. "PERSONA!" I shouted, pulling the trigger three times. The Shadows looked up at me as fire rained down, and I slammed the blade through the Tiara's tiara.

It collapsed into a burst of ichor, but the blade was stuck in a gap between to concrete slabs, so I abandoned it and drove a fist onto the back of a Maya's head, punching the mask off the body, which died without it.

The other Maya slammed me against a bin, but I kicked it in the mask and put the Evoker to my head again. "LILIM!" I shouted, and she threw down more fire, killing the Shadow.

Cards appeared in my mind again, and this time I took one of the sword cards, just to see what would happen.

I felt my hand grip something.

A sword.

Dark Falcon.

**"Arisoto?"** Mitsuru asked. **"You mentioned that you often gain Personae after defeating a Shadow?"**

"Apparently I can get weapons too." I shrugged, sliding the weapon over my shoulder and pulling the Gladius from the ground. Dark Falcon was a stronger weapon, and I felt faster just from holding it, but both weapons are so light that I can carry both without any problems.

I don't want to use a two-handed style, in case I need to get into close-combat, but it's nice to have the option.

**"Your ability seems to defy everything we know about Persona, and about the laws of thermodynamics as well it seems."**

That's the universe's problem, not mine.**  
**

* * *

Yukari felt much better the next day, so I didn't get to skive off to look after her.

That was a good thing I suppose, since I it meant that I got to try out for the Kendo Team.

I needn't have worried though; I got welcomed with open arms since they were down on members. I even initiated the Chariot Social Link with Kazushi. He seemed pretty cool, if needing a life outside Kendo. Still, a social link is a social link.

So, if the Social links are based of the Arcana, and I've started Fool, Magician and Chariot, that leaves… 19 left…

Sigh… This is gonna take all year isn't it?


	14. Rebuild 014

I ran along the wall, Evoker to my head. "ORPHEUS!" I shouted, pulling the trigger to summon the great musician to crush the Dancing Hand under his lyre.

**"You struck the enemy's weak point!"** Mitsuru shouted as that bugger died. **"One left!"**

I landed on the ground and aimed my bow, firing a steel arrow through the last Shadow's fingers for Junpei to jump on, kicking off it as he sliced his blade through the Dancing Hand's mask, killing it.

Junpei rolled on the ground as the Shadow collapsed into a cloud of ichor. "WHO DA MAN?" he shouted over the Shadow's screams.

"You da man." I grinned. "Alright, let's loot the floor then let's get out of here." I decided, moving my shoulder. "Hey, does this look bleeding to you?" I asked, turning my back to the others. "It's kinda numb, so I can't tell."

"No, but it's frozen pretty bad." Yukari said, touching where the Shadow cast Bufu on me, and closing her eyes. "There ya go!" she said, patting my shoulder. "All done."

"Thanks." I said, cricking my neck as Junpei returned with a couple bottles of Soma. "Come on, school tomorrow."

* * *

It's been a week since we first entered Tartarus.

Today's Friday, the first of May.

I'd already gotten much closer to Kenji and Kazushi over the past week, and even started three new social links. I found the Hierophant with an old couple who run a book shop, and Hermit with some girl I met on an MMO Junpei gave me, but it bears an alarming amount of similarities to our Personae, though I reckon that Mitsuru's probably aware of it already. I walked home with Yuko, the girl who manages the Kendo team, and found the Strength Arcana.

I'm gonna have to be careful there, I think Kazushi fancies her.

Anyway, I was wondering who I should hang out with today when Junpei mentioned that he was delivering something at the hospital for Akihiko. Then Yukari said that she'd go with him. "You're coming too, right?" she asked me.

Actually, I needed all the time I could get, so I declined.

Or at least, I tried to…

"Come on now, I'm sure he wants us there too." she said.

"He-Hey!" Junpei protested. "He asked ME, Ya know."

"If it's important, we should all go together, right?"

I could tell that I wasn't getting out of this, so I submitted.

"Fine, I'll come." I sighed.

Maybe I'll find the Devil Arcana in one of the nurses or something... That'd be a laugh.

* * *

When we got to the room Akihiko was supposed to be in, he wasn't there.

Unless he had the ability to transform into a big guy with a mullet, trench coat and a beanie.

Which I'm sure he doesn't. But, just to make sure, I asked. "Hey, is Akihiko here?"

"…"

Dude, that is the mother of evil glares.

"What are all you guys doing here?" Akihiko asked.

Ah, he's behind us. "We came to see you!" Yukari answered. "But… there doesn't seem to be anything wrong…"

Akihiko shook his head. "Nah, I'm just here for a check-up." he said.

The badass, who probably wasn't a shape shifter, stood up. "Is that it Aki?" he grunted.

"Yeah," Akihiko responded. "Thanks."

"Tch," The badass began to leave. "I don't have time for this shit…"

Junpei practically jumped out of his way.

I caught his eye. I regretted it instantly.

* * *

Once he left, Junpei asked "Who-who was he?"

"A friend from school…" Akihiko replied, "Sort of." Yeah, some sort of. "You know how the numbers of Apathy Syndrome cases are rising? Well, he knows a few people suffering from it, so I was asking about it."

Bullcrap, I didn't even need to see his face to know he was lying.

Then again, I'd figured out that I was the only person who could see what I could about him.

Castor of the Hierophant. No weaknesses. Skills are Regenerate 1, Counter, and Evil Smile, and just a second of looking closer told me that he was the strongest guy I have ever seen.

To put it into perspective, thanks to my personae I can run on walls and kick fourteen kinds of arse. Akihiko went up against that Magician shadow on the first night, alone, and only stopped fighting after his arm was broken.

But I can tell. This guy is twice as strong as Akihiko and three times as strong as me.

I thought about this as Akihiko was talking to Yukari and Junpei, and came to a few conclusions.

1) There are Persona Users other than us  
2) That guy used to live in the dorm, explaining the need for the dorm  
3) He's crazy strong, but doesn't fight with us  
4) But he used to, since he lived in the dorm  
5) He's on good terms with Akihiko  
6) So they didn't kick him out  
7) He has no psychological weaknesses  
8) He's also a street fighter  
9) So he's better in battle than I am

So why the hell am I leading the S.E.E.S. instead of him?

Paying attention so I can steer the conversation towards my question.

"That's an interesting way of putting it." Junpei was talking to Akihiko of course, but out of context... looks like instead we'll finish with a comedy routine. "You know, I like to play games too."

"Yeah," Yukari replied with scorn. "VIDEO games…"

"H-hey, they're good for hand eye co-ordination…" Junpei's weak rebuttal was weak.

Classic Junpei.

* * *

The next day I was entering school and I overheard some girls talking about Golden Week. Apparently we had Monday and Tuesday off next week, giving us a three day weekend. Mitsuru wanted us to go to Tartarus, but I wasn't having any of that. This was my huge weekend, and I was getting sleep!

Just before class started, I got an email. As well as my dorm mates and school friends, Elizabeth also had my phone number and email address. She had me doing odd quests she called 'Requests'. I got decent rewards for them, like the high cut armour, but mostly money or rare items. The text said that I had to bring her some… Pine Resin? For Tonight?

I asked Yuko about it after school. She said that Yukari should have some, since she was in the Archery club.

She was right, and I got some… Purifying rice? Ah well, I'm sure it'd be good for something.

* * *

Back at the dorm, everyone was discussing their plans for Golden Week. Junpei wanted to hang out with some friends, but he was complaining that he couldn't get any girls to go with him. Hey, who wants a sausage fest, right? Mitsuru brought him down to earth by reminding us that we had midterm exams in a couple of weeks. That inadvertently brought me and Yukari down as well, so I suggested that we revised instead of going to Tartarus for a while. We all agreed, and went to our separate rooms.

I fell asleep at the desk.

* * *

"Hi, how have you been?"

I sat up, spinning in my wheelie chair.

It was that kid again, sitting on my bed.

"Fine thanks." I told him. "You?"

The boy chuckled. "The same." he said. "But I've come to warn you."

I sighed. "No chance of simple conversation then?"

The boy laughed, but was suddenly serious. "One week from now, there will be a full moon…" he said. "Be careful; a new ordeal awaits you…"

"Full moon huh?" I asked. "What kind of Ordeal?"

The boy nodded. "On such days, you will face your greatest challenges. You will encounter one of THEM."

"Them huh? That doesn't really help mu-" I stopped, brain catching up with my mouth. "That night… When I summoned Thanatos…"

"Yes… That night was also a full moon…" The boy looked grim. "And you faced one of THEM, the weakest one in fact…"

Oh bugger.

"You must prepare for this ordeal…" The boy warned, "But time is of the essence."

"It doesn't wait, does it?" I asked.

The boy smiled. "No it doesn't." he said, standing to his feet. "It delivers us all unto the same end…"

The boy walked towards the door. "I'll come see you again when it's over. Goodbye for now."

He walked through the door without opening it. I sighed and held my head in my hands.

Stronger than the Magician, huh?

I lifted my head and decided what I was going to do.

* * *

Next day I paid a visit to Igor and Elizabeth. I fused some of my Personae and spent the day getting ready. When I got back to the dorm last night, I simply said. "Change of plan. We're going to Tartarus."

"What about studying?" Junpei asked.

"Bugger that, we've got shit to kill."

* * *

That night, we reached a barrier blocking the stairs, but we reached the highest we could go.

I didn't bother telling the others about what was coming, they wouldn't believe me. Best I could do was to become crazy prepared.

* * *

We re-entered the tower on Tuesday, simply for more training. We had actually spent over ten minutes on a single floor just killing shadows when I heard fear in Mitsuru's voice for the first time.

**"GET OUT OF THERE!" **Make that Terror. **"I SENSE DEATH, RUN!"**

At first we were confused. "What's going on?" Yukari asked.

Then I heard it.

clink.

clink.

clink.

clink.

The sound of slithering chains slowly approaching… but the sound was nothing compared to how the air felt.

It was… crushing…

choking…

smothering...

We had to get out of there or we would DIE.

That's when I saw it.

Floating there, covered in held a long barrelled revolver in each hand, and its face was covered in bandages, hiding everything except for one, grotesque, monstrous yellow eye.

One thing was clear.

We couldn't fight it.

It would kill us instantly.

"this way." I kept my voice low, barely above a whisper. "slowly… don't make a sound…"

Then it saw us.

As it raised one gun to aim, I realised secrecy was useless,

"RUN!"

We bolted, dodging the screams of darkness flying past us, shot out like bullets from its guns. I reached into my pocket and pulled out a Magic Mirror and smashed it. As the barrier flew up, I remember thinking that that would hold it for a little while.

I was wrong.

Instead, it lifted gun to the sky and a globe of black and gold energy amassed at the muzzle.

_That's a Megido_, I felt. _No, that's a Megidolaon. The mirrors are useless!_

I dodged out of the way just as the blast obliterated everything where I just stood. I saw Junpei and Yukari had made it to the warp station, but I didn't stand a chance of making it in time. "YOU GO! NOW!" I roared at them, and Junpei forced Yukari onto the teleporter.

He watched as I jumped down the hole made by the Reapers attack, and I hoped like hell that he would have the brains to escape the same way Yukari did.

I hit the ground running. I felt the Reaper chasing me- wait, WHY ME? I went a separate direction to Junpei and Yukari, so why did it chase me?

_Because I am the one it wants_

Damn. Once you thought about it, the Shadow Clusters all attacked me before splitting into masked Shadows.

They were never interested in Yukari or Junpei. _Why?_

_Because I am their greatest threat. _

Oh, great. Apparently they hadn't heard of Akihiko's friend. Unless the Shadows are scared of how strong I'll eventually get?

BANG!

Woah, gunshot is just what I needed to pull me from my badly timed monologue. Runninglikehellnowsir.

**"It's about to destroy the floor! MOVE!"**

I summoned Jack Frost to cast Sukukaja and hopped onto the wall, tic-tacking from side to side as the ground was obliterated, then landed on the ground around the corner and sprinted for the glowing green light.

OH HELL YEAH! I slid onto the escape pod, flipping the reaper off as I vanished.

I could have sworn that it raised a middle finger at me back.

* * *

When I got down, we were all covered in sweat. Yukari seemed close to tears, and Junpei may have peed a little.

Either way, we were all terrified. I needed to do something.

"Alright, Junpei? Yukari?" I asked.

The both looked towards me, as did Mitsuru. "New Goal." I explained. "By the end of this year, we will be far stronger than you could ever believe. We will be strong enough to bring that thing down to size and force it to make us all sandwiches." I looked around the ground floor, we seemed safe for now, so I sat down. "But first!" I added, "Sleep!"

With that, we headed home for sleep.

I'm not sure we'll ever do it, but it sounded right when I said it.

I usually know what to do or say in situations like this, though normally I'm the monster that everyone's scared of.

Feels weird to be the underdog again.

Let's fix that little problem then.

* * *

**-}+{-

* * *

**

I really didn't want to do any author notes for this story, but my hand has been forced.

This is Fairly English Story, only with all the spelling mistakes, inconsistencies and errors removed. I'm also amping up the level of crazy awesome from that fic here. If this is your first time reading, make sure you check out Fairly English Story for the full, finished story. This is basically just the Final Mix version.

I'm doing this to show how I've improved as a writer, and to give a better, fuller experience while writing. The reason why I'm not just overwriting the existing chapters in Fairly English Story is because I want to keep that there to show my development as a writer. Eventually, this will become the official version and Fairly English Story will be the first draft, which in all essence, it is.

If there are any inconsistencies, refer to this if possible. Unfortunately, I won't be able to finish this before I go on my mission in a few weeks, but I hope to at least get to chapter 36, where I first got a beta writer.


	15. Rebuild 015

Saturday finally came. This meant two things.

First, our holiday ended. Yaaaay.

Second, it was the day that kid had warned me about. The full moon.

I decided to keep my mouth shut about it for now, since no-one else seemed to know that anything was gonna go down. If the kid was right, then we'd find out soon enough anyway, and everyone else would figure it out and I wouldn't get suspected of my insanity being able to predict the future.

Hey, as long as it wasn't as strong as the Reaper, we were ready.

Hopefully.

* * *

I didn't bother going to bed that night. I spent a few hours in my room doing stretches and getting prepared for the battle ahead.

I was actually meditating when the alarm rang.

I was actually bloody meditating. That's how bored I was.

Anyway, alarm. I burst out of the door fully dressed and saw Junpei bolt out of his room in pyjamas. He reached the stairs before I did.

I couldn't help it; he looks so… weird without his hat. I _had_ to stop and laugh.

* * *

When we got there, Yukari was already there in her pyjamas. She looked surprisingly good for someone who's just woken up and sprinted up the stairs. Not that I was checking her out or anything.

Junpei was still catching his breath, but my brain kinda rejects his hatless appearance.

"Where is it!" Junpei grinned. "I'll rip it a new one!"

Mitsuru seemed surprised that I was actually already geared up for battle, but I dismissed it by asking to be briefed on the current situation. "We've detected a Shadow outside of Tartarus." She replied. Kinda figured that already, although the other two hadn't been going on patrols as much as I had. "We don't know for sure, but we think it's another big one."

Huh. Kid was right. "We have to defeat any of them we find, as quickly as possible." Mitsuru continued. "Most people don't know the Dark Hour exists. But, if half the city is destroyed, there will be panic."

Oh, I actually hadn't considered that possibility. Come to think of it, it was practically inevitable. This was Japan after all. Tokyo skyscrapers are the world's most volatile explosive. I remember a mate of mine saying they use nitro in their concrete.

"So in other words, we need to kick some ass right?" Junpei asked with a dark laugh. "Well count me in!"

Yukari sighed as Akihiko stepped forward. "I'm going too." he decided.

"You're not going anywhere in that condition." Mitsuru snapped, mortified at the suggestion. "You wait here for the Chairman."

"Wha-!" Akihiko looked as if he wasn't expecting this. "I'm going!"

"She's right Akihiko-senpai." Junpei pointed out, being a voice of reason for once. "You're still recovering from the last fight."

Akihiko growled, so I stepped in, "Akihiko, you can come for the next mission, but if you continue to put my team at risk I _will _take you out."

That surprised everyone, for different reasons. Was I threatening him? Was I usurping his authority? Was I expecting more big shadows?

The answer? D. All of the above.

"He's right." Mitsuru decided, being the first to recover. "In your current state, you'd be more of a hindrance than a help. Have faith in them Akihiko," She looked at us, "They're ready."

"Tch…" Akihiko sat down at the computer bank. "Fine…"

"You'll get your chance," Mitsuru told him. "But for now-"

"Wait for the chairman," Akihiko grunted, "I got it."

Junpei slapped his chest with pride. "Relax, I got it covered."

Akihiko looked up from the console, comparing us. "Guess I've got no choice then… Arisoto's in charge."

Junpei groaned. "Him again..?"

Mitsuru looked at me. "We're counting on you." she said.

I nodded, and Junpei turned to leave. "Heh. Looks like you're stuck playing leader again…" Junpei walked off. "Sucks to be you."

Yukari turned to us. "I'll go get dressed too. See you downstairs."

I nodded as she left, thinking. Hermes and Orpheus. Come to think of it, Hermes tries to usurp Thanatos several times in the legends…

I hope like hell I'm being paranoid.

"So," Mitsuru asked me once we were the only ones in the room. "How did you know that this was coming?"

I turned around, deciding that the truth wasn't the correct answer. "The Shadows were more violent than usual last night, and Apathy Syndrome's been on the rise lately." So had the moon. "Since loads of victims recovered after I killed the last one, and Shadows cause Apathy Syndrome…" I shrugged. "To be fair, I was just expecting another patrol."

She seemed to buy that.

* * *

Around ten minutes later, Junpei, Yukari and I were at the train station waiting for Mitsuru. We were a quarter of the way through the dark hour already, and I didn't want to be wasting any more time.

"Hey, you look edgy." Yukari pointed out.

"I'm used to the Dark Hour, so I've been covering Akihiko's patrol shifts while he recovers." I explained. "It's not nice when Mitsuru isn't there to tell you that a Shadow's about to stab you in the back."

Then I heard a motorbike.

* * *

Mitsuru had a motorbike.

A motorbike that worked when everything else didn't. "It's special." She told us. I want a special iPod.

She was going to provide support from the train station, and we had to run along the track and get on the train. In the Dark Hour.

Junpei acted like this was some big deal. I'd done this hundreds of times. Sometimes I timed it just right so I could skip the fare.

With great power, comes great irresponsibility.

* * *

We got to the train after a while, and Yukari decided to climb into the train first, but not before giving us a death glare as she grabbed the ladder. "Don't. Look. Up."

I looked up anyway, but for a different reason. I waited until Junpei had followed her inside until I raised my point. I didn't want them running away before it happened.

"You know, I've sneaked in and out of trains during the Dark Hour all the time." I pointed out. "And in all the years I've been doing it," I continued, climbing the ladder, "Not once have the doors been open when the train wasn't in station." I climbed in and the doors closed behind me.

Told you.

Everybody panicked. Told you.

"Come on." I told everyone as Junpei complained about his fingers being jacked up or something. "Shadow's trapped us, so we gotta kill it if we want to leave."

**"That is correct Arisoto."** Mitsuru said. **"The Shadow is at the other end of the train. Move with caution."**

"R-Roger." Yukari nodded. The military term sounded forced coming from her. "Let's go."

* * *

We moved forward through the train. Yukari and Junpei seemed disturbed to the transmogrified coffins. Come to think about it, I grew up with them, but the others had only awakened recently, so they weren't used to them.

Hell, I remember running on top of them in the city centre. What really crept me out was when my foot fell down a short hole, and I realised that I just stood on a kid. Now _that_ ruins the fun.

Maybe it was because I was on edge, or maybe because I was finally wearing those badass steel gloves I sto- acquired, but I felt a spike of killing intent and I stabbed upwards, straight through the Shadow that jumped down.

"WOAH!" Junpei didn't see that coming.

And that's why I'm in charge, not you. Competence, awareness, and asskicking.

"What the hell man!" Junpei seemed mad at me for some reason. "You let it get away!"

I looked at my sword. Then the door. Then the muttering tiara waving at me from behind the door. Oh.

To be fair, the Shadow's bleeding badly, so I didn't completely fail.

Junpei reached for the door handle but I grabbed his wrist. "What the hell man!" he shouted, pulling out of my grip.

**"Something's not right," **Mitsuru pointed out, **"The enemy is acting strangely…"**

Junpei almost lost it there. "But if we don't go after it, it's gonna get away!"

"And?" I asked. "There's plenty more just like it in Tartarus. We're here to kill a big Shadow."

**"Arisoto, you're in charge over there. What do you think?"**

"We should be careful, so I'm going after it." I decided.

"Who needs your advice?" Junpei shouted, pushing me in the chest a fair few feet, "I'll kill it myself!"

With that, he ran through the door, slamming it behind him.

"Junpei!" Yukari shouted. "Wait!"

"Idiot!" I spat, getting to my feet.

**"Watch out, behind you!"**

I span around just in time to block an attack headed for- Yukari? Why were they targeting her? Block, they always focus on me don't they? Parry, hell, that first one even taunted us STABSTABSTAB!

I rushed round, sighing with relief as Yukari killed the other Shadow. She sighed a very different sigh. "This is just what the enemy wanted…"

Hold that thought, what they _wanted_? But the Shadows were just mindless drones… unless…

A Shadow with significant power or rank can think and command other Shadows.

Actually, all the Shadow's we've seen so far are of the Priestess.

Same yesterday.

Last month they were all Magician.

"Mitsuru, can you scan ahead and determine the Arcana of the large Shadow?" I asked.

"**It's the Priestess, why?"**

Good job I'd bought that Tarot deck recently. I flicked out the book that came with it and ignored Yukari's shock and irritation. "Do you have to do that now?"

"Yep," I answered, leafing my way to the correct page. "Any later and this'll be meaningless." There, Priestess.

_Portrayed as an old woman with a closed book, the Priestess Arcana is a symbol of hidden knowledge or other untapped power, wisdom, female mystery and magic when it appears in tarot readings. The Priestess means someone with knowledge and wisdom, yet the reversed version of it means someone unable to use that knowledge or someone not able to take decisions._

"Great," I grunted, putting the book away. "This Shadow is smart."

That confused people, so I just headed for the door saying "Priestess represents hidden knowledge and wisdom. They're based of Tarot cards."

* * *

Other side of the door had Junpei surrounded by half a dozen Shadows. Idiot! It's easier to fight with your back against the wall than it is to have an enemy there!

Still, he was doing well. I jumped in and punched the lights out of the closest Shadow; an arrow flew through the one to my right.

"Minato!" Junpei seemed shocked to see me. "What the hell-?"

"Idiot," I told him, grabbing my Evoker. "ARHANGEL!" The Shadows around us fell as they were struck by lightning from Mazio.

I looked at Junpei. "You okay?"

Junpei huffed and looked away. "O-Of course I am... I was doin' just fine..."

"Excuse me!" Yukari shouted. I agree, he was getting his backside handed to him on a silver plate.

**"Be careful you three," **Mitsuru interjected, **"I don't detect any movement, but stay-"**

Never found out what we had to keep doing, since the train started moving. "Woah, What the-!" Yukari shouted, "Why are we moving?"

**"It seems like the monorail is under the enemy's control."**

What do you mean, 'It seems'?

"Waddaya mean, 'It seems'?" Woah, Yukari. Mind Synch.

Then the train sped up, as if to spite her. This doesn't look good.

"Uh... This doesn't look good" Woah, Junpei. Mind Synch.

**"If we can't stop that thing, it'll crash into another train!"**

"WHAT?" Yukari screamed. "Oh God! What are we gonna do!"

Well, I'd recommend calming down and getting to the front of the car and killing that Shadow.

Oh, you were swearing, not deifying me. I was gonna say, I'm not that awesome. Nor am I that humble apparently.

Oh right, back to being doomed.

**"Calm down and listen."** Mitsuru said, trying to regain control of the situation. **"I sense a strong presence in the front car. That must be the one we're after." **I knew that, but then again, I wasn't panicking. **"You'll have to defeat it to stop the train." **Wait, I'm not panicking.

I'm gonna die and I'm not panicking. I've actually gotten used to this.

And to think I came to Japan to get _away_ from all that.

Shadows came down. More Tiaras, couple of Tables. "How long do we have?" I asked, putting the Evoker to my head.

SMASH.

Pyro Jack, MARAGI!

I got my answer as the Shadows burned. **"Three Minutes."**

I sheathed my sword "Let's get moving then!" I shouted, pulling my jacket over my head and running towards the wall of fire. "Don't bother with your weapons, JUST USE PERSONA!" I shouted as I dove through, shortly followed by Yukari, then Junpei. More Shadows came to block our path, so I put my Evoker to my head while running.

"HERMES!"  
"IO!"  
"PYRO JACK!"

I couldn't summon the first two of course. Yukari and Junpei were quicker on the draw than I was there, and the result was fire tornadoes.

Yes, fire tornadoes. Little ones, incinerating the Shadows. This was easy.

Too easy.

**"Two minutes Forty seconds."**

I looked back. Junpei had slung his sword over his back, and Yukari was unarmed. The bow was only going to slow her down, so it was a good call. I reached for the door to the next car, stopped when I saw the huge mass of Shadows on the other side of the window.

**"WHAT! Where did these come from!"**

There's so many Shadows that they're crushing each other against the wall.

This was gonna be a full on brawl in a tight place.

These two haven't experienced anything like this before.

I passed Yukari my sword, "We just need to get through." I told her. "Hack and slash, don't stop. Keep moving, don't slow down to make sure anything's dead." I gripped my Evoker. "How long do we have?" I asked Mitsuru.

**"Two minutes twenty five seconds. The leader's in the compartment after this."**

Fetch me my brown trousers.

Clenching my teeth, I closed my eyes and opened the door, pulling the trigger.


	16. Rebuild 016

"RR**RAARRG**GHH!"

**BOOM**

I fell back as fire and ice flew into the mass of flesh, pushing them back. I got back to my feet and charged in, beating down a Tiara with my metal gloves.

"Hey Jack!" one of my Personae said. "Why do you carry that lantern around with you?"

Ignore! Ignore! Just lose yourself in the melee!

"Because the Shadows make it dangerous to walk near traffic!"

Holy crap that was bad. But hey, half the Shadows fell down, making them easy picking.

"Here's our chance!" I glanced to the side and saw Junpei slice through another Shadow. "LET'S GET 'EM!"

I grabbed the nearest Shadow and smashed it against a metal pole. "KILL THEM ALL!"

Junpei grinned, charging after a fleeing Shadow. "GET BACK HERE YOU SON OF A-"

**"One minute fifty seconds remaining!"**

I drew my Evoker and pulled the trigger. _BURN_

I charged and plunged my fist into another Shadow. _CRUSH_

A Shadow slammed into my back, so I span round and broke its arm in half. _MAIM_

I pulled the trigger again as lightning filled the room. _KILL_

Junpei sliced through Shadow after Shadow, delivering death with each blow. Yukari mowed her way through behind him. Both were covered in the black ichor the Shadows left behind. I was probably soaked in the stuff myself.

**"ONE AND A HALF MINUTES! HURRY!"**

Damn. There were still over two dozen Shadows remaining.

Putting the Evoker to my head, I roared as I pulled the trigger, and holy light filled the room. The Shadows screamed as they burned.

This. Is. JUSTICE!

"HERMES!"  
"IO!"

Flaming wind filled the room, picking off the survivors of my attack. Finally, the room was empty. Yukari collapsed to her knees, gasping for breath. "We… We did it…"

"Yeah…" Junpei seemed overwhelmed by it all.

I stopped too. That was intense.

**"What are you stopping for?" **Mitsuru shouted. **"THERE'S ONLY SEVENTY TWO SECONDS LEFT TO KILL THE PRIESTESS!"**

We all froze. Not good.

**"SEVENTY!"**

We all got moving. I smashed the door to the next compartment with my shoulder, not bothering to slow down. I saw this giant woman, her right side was black and her left was white. She wore a cloth between her legs, and her hair fused into the power cables in the walls.

It looked at me and summoned two more Shadows, Tiaras.

"WHAT THE HELL!" Junpei arrived, followed by Yukari. "IS THIS THE FRIGGIN' BOSS?"

The Shadows charged for us as the Priestess launched ice spells. Dodging, I asked "What's it weakness?"

**"Hold on."** Grunting, I charged forward and elbowed the nearest tiara, Junpei slashing through the other. Yukari summoned Io and cast a Garu. **"It doesn't have one, but the only spells that won't work are Bufu, Mudo and Hama."**

"Thanks." I grunted. That meant everything we had was fair game. "EVERYONE! ALL OUT!"

We charged forward, but every time we got close the Priestess sent us all flying back.

**"Forty seconds left."**

Grunting, I put the Evoker to my head.

_SMASH _

"CADENZA!"

**BLAM**

As soon as I heard the music, I felt better. Everything else slowed down. Smiling, I pulled the Evoker to my head and switched Persona.

_SMASH _

I pulled the trigger.

Nothing happened.

**"You've run out of Spiritual Power!"** Mitsuru shouted.** "You'll have to rely on your own strength for now! Thirty seconds left!"**

Damn.

Junpei and Yukari both paled and hesitated. How can I blame them? Their secret weapon just ran out of bullets, and we're all gonna die because we can't kill this damned Shadow!

It laughed.

The damn Shadow was laughing at us.

_It was laughing at me._

"SHUT UP!" the world blurred for a moment as I charged forward and plunged my fist in its face.

I was four feet in the air.

I grabbed the back of the Shadow's head and plunged my knee into its face. It hurt like hell and I lost my grip, but I heard a crack. I kicked it with the other leg as I fell down.

I landed flat on my shoulders and rolled while the Priestess screamed. It launched an attack that flew over my head, striking Junpei and Yukari right in the stomach, making them drop their weapons.

**"One Strike? Come on! Get up! Twenty two seconds left!"**

I got up and grabbed my shortsword and Junpei's katana. I span round and plunged the shortsword deep into the Priestess, the blade only stopping when the hand guard met flesh.

It screamed in pain as I vaulted onto the weapon and jumped up, gripping the Katana with both hands over my head.

"RRAAARGH!" I swung the blade down through its head. And through its body. I felt the Katana hit my sword, but I kept pushing until I hit the floor.

The Shadow screamed in agony as the white fell apart from the black. Both sides dissolved into the black mist and my sword fell to the ground. I fell back to the ground, panting.

Junpei got up "Did-Did we stop it..?" he fell back down as the train shook. "HEY!" I felt the panic. "Why're we still moving?"

Crap. Getting up I tried to ignore everyone's rising panic as I ran into the driver's compartment. I squeezed past the coffin to the controls and saw the train up ahead.

Ignoring the screaming in my ears, I grabbed the nearest lever and pulled it.

The train began to scream in pain, but it was too late. The two trains hit, and the world turned white.

* * *

"I told you already." That voice was familiar. "I'm always with you…"

* * *

When my vision cleared, my head was resting on the controls in a pool of blood.

**"Ha mina moushibun nakuaru?"**

"Uh, H-Hai, watashitachi ha yoi." Yukari was talking. "Ha, haa…watashi no hiza ha yure teiru…"

"Otoko…" I heard Junpei and decided to get my brain into gear. "I'm like, drenched in sweat…" Good, brain working.

**"I'm so glad you're safe… I'm sorry I couldn't do more on my end…" **Mitsuru seemed really sincere about that. **"I don't detect any more shadows. You guys did a great job, so come on home."**

"What about the other train?" I asked, forcing myself up. "Don't we need to stop that too? We don't know whether or not this train was in reverse or not."

**"Yes we do." **Mitsuru said. **"That train just left the station in the direction it was headed. Everything is fine. Thanks to the mild collision, we can easily explain the damage done to the train."**

"In that case…" I punched through the front window and climbed through, kicking the remainder of it back into the train. "Now the front window shattered from the collision." I stepped back inside the train and through the drivers room to see Yukari and Junpei.

Wow, they were covered in sweat and ichor. I didn't blame them. "Junpei, you go get Yukari's bow and grab any arrows you find." I told him, walking over to them. "Yukari," I turned my back to her and sat down, taking my jacket off. "I need your help."

Junpei looked annoyed at this but couldn't argue with my logic. "Got it…" he murmured, jogging back to the previous compartments.

As Yukari began healing me she asked "But, how did you know which one was the brake?"

I laughed. "I didn't."

"What!" Yukari smacked me lightly on the shoulder. "Don't scare me like that... Seriously, how did you know?"

I shook my head. "I am serious. I grabbed whatever one was closest."

Yukari sighed. "Well, either way, you saved my life again… thanks."

I shrugged. "It was a lucky guess really."

"WHAT!" Junpei had just returned with Yukari's bow and arrows. "Are you freakin' messing with me man? Ah, whatever..." This seemed to cheer Junpei up somehow. "Wanna grab a bite to eat? I'm damn hungry!"

I nodded and stood up, shrugging my jacket back on. Yukari rose and took her weapons back from Junpei.

I tossed him his Katana and I sheathed my own sword. I saw a couple of stones where the Priestess's corpse was and pocketed them. Might come in useful later. "Mitsuru's treat." I decided.

**"Not that I object, but why am I the one paying?"**

"You said that you were sorry about not being able to do more to help?" I asked. "Well now's your chance!"

* * *

We all had a good laugh about that. I helped Junpei and Yukari out through the broken front window since I was the only one with gloves on. As we walked down the track, I thought about what would have happened in that battle if I'd conserved my SP while going through the train instead of blasting my Personae left right and centre.

Priestess would have been a lot easier to kill, for one thing. Mental note, keep that in mind later on.

* * *

As we were approaching the dorm, we heard a clock strike the hour and life returned to the city. I noticed that we got a few funny looks from people, since we were covered in black liquid, were carrying weapons and looked like hell.

We upped the pace and entered the dorm, heading straight for the showers. Junpei got into the men's shower before I did, so it was my job to go grab everyone's Pyjamas and throw their clothes into the wash.

I considered complaining at first, but then considered that Yukari probably wouldn't have been happy about Junpei going into her room to get her clothes, so that made me feel a little better.

* * *

By the time I got out of the shower, everyone was eating Chinese. Sweetness. I vaulted the couch and grabbed a bowl of chow mein, then I noticed the late night news.

_\_ "_Two trains miraculously avoided a collision today on the Iwatodai monorail tonight. Around midnight the driver pulled the emergency brake, minimizing the collision with the next train. It appears that a power surge made the train's speedometer malfunction and give an incorrect speed reading. Were it not for the heroic actions of the condutor, many lives may have been lost. We now go live-" __\__  
_

"What?" Junpei whined in disbelief. "They're taking the credit for what _we_ did and shifting it onto the guy driving!"

"Hey, at least we know what happened, right?" Yukari told him. "They don't know about the Dark Hour, so they don't know any better."

"Yeah, I know… it's just…" Junpei sighed. "It'd be nice to get a little recognition, you know?"

"We got Chinese food, what more do you want?" I joked.

Everyone laughed. I wasn't even concerned when time stopped again and I saw the Fool Arcana. It had been happening almost every day lately.

I was actually getting used to heart-warming moments being interrupted by these cards.

Well, at least it wasn't getting awkward. Time started again and we were all in great spirits.

I think I actually stole Junpei's chicken ball right from his plate just for the fun of it. He tackled me, shouting how nothing gets between a man and his food, but we were all just laughing.

Come to think of it, we were just trying to forget about how close we had actually come to dying. Still, it was much better than brooding about it.

* * *

The three of us just sat there, laughing and joking all night. Junpei and Yukari both fell asleep before morning came though, so I ended up carrying the two of them to their beds. I was just about to collapse on my own bed when my phone rang.

"Yello..?" I muttered.

_\_ "Hello? This is Elizabeth…" _\_

That was an eye opener. Didn't expect her calling so soon.

Wait, when did she get my number?

"I'm calling to inform you about a change in Tartarus…" she said. What kind of change I wonder? "I believe a path that was blocked is now open." Just after we defeated that huge Shadow? That's too much of a coincidence… "I thought you might like to know. I wish you a safe journey."

"Hey, wait!" but she'd already hung up. Well, I was too knackered to think about it.

Right now I needed Sleep. I fell into the bed. Sleep… Sleep is… Sleep is… Yawn… Sleep is my… my friend… nussle…


	17. Rebuild 017

I didn't get much sleep though. I never do. This time, it was because Kazushi rang me at around noon asking me where I was.

Oh yeah, I said I'd hang out with him today, didn't I...

Crap. I threw some clothes on and ran straight to Iwatodai strip mall.

* * *

I was still catching my breath when I got there.

"Woah, Minato!" he whistled, poking the bags under my eyes. "What were you doing last night?"

"Kicking arse…"

…oh crap I can't believe I just said that.

"You were in a fight?" Kazushi was suddenly all concern.

"Uh… Kinda…" I lied. Fighting is against the Kendo team rules, and if I get caught I'll get thrown off, badass or not.

Kazushi grabbed my shoulder, glaring at me. "Minato, my knee's probably injured. Don't do this to the team OR to yourself."

"R-Right…" I was too tired to deal with this. "Sorry…"

"But man, I thought you could deal with something like that with your endurance!"

"It was the aftermath that did it for me."

"Ouch… painful…" we stepped inside the restaurant and headed for the tills to order our food. "Did you win?"

I laughed. "Winning isn't everything you know."

Kazushi laughed as well. "Good point." he said as we approached the till. "Did you?"

"Prodigy Platter please." I said to the guy behind the counter. I turned to Kazushi and punched him in the arm. "Hell yeah!"

Kazushi smirked, rubbing his dead arm.

* * *

I stepped by the Velvet Room on the way back to the dorm. "Good evening."

"Hey Elizabeth. 'Sup Igor?"

"It's nice to see you young man." he grinned as usual.

I turned to Elizabeth. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes." She answered. "I would like to begin to offer you my full services." Ooh, this good. "This," she said, offering me a large, leather bound book, "Is the Demonic Compendium."

I opened it and on the first page, it said _'The definitive record of Minato Arisoto's Personae'._

"What's it for?" I asked.

Elizabeth took the book back from me. "This Compendium contains record of all the Persona you have ever possessed, and updates itself whenever you obtain another. You can also overwrite previous records with your current Personae."

"And why would I do that?" I asked.

"Because, Mister Arisoto…" her respectful tone seemed to have a hint of annoyance, but I could have been imagining it. "I am capable of summoning any Persona that you have recorded in this compendium for your use."

…

…

…

Wait, what?

"Meaning, you can regain Persona that you have discarded, or used as fusion material in demonic fusion." she elaborated.

"Sweet!"

"For a price of course." She offered me the book again. "I'll let you take a look."

Let's see… WOAH! Expensive!

It must have shown in my body language because Elizabeth noted that, "I think that you will find my prices more than reasonable."

I had to admit, the prices seemed to fit the usefulness and power of the Persona they contained. "I assume that these rates are non-negotiable?" I asked.

"Correct."

Well, I'd have to do something about that. "Thank you very much." I closed the book and handed it to her. "I'll be seeing you later." Yeah, after studying up on business tactics.

"Good night, Mister Arisoto."

Note to self, visit Bunkichi and Mitsuko later.

* * *

I set off to school early the next day to visit Bookworms on the way. "Hey Bunkichi-san." I waved.

The old man was happy to see me. "Minato-chan!" If I was Japanese, I'd probably be annoyed at that. "My wife's still upstairs."

"That's okay." I shrugged. "I'm looking for a book on negotiation and business tactics."

"Ooh, hoping to get some money behind that handsome face of yours?" Well, Kind of. "You're not gonna leave those girls half a chance, are you?"

I chuckled at the old man. He always did this, making me out to be some big player.

Personally, I doubt I could hold down a girlfriend, but it's good for an old man to have faith in me.

Oh, I've had a girlfriend before; about a year ago when I was 16. It didn't end well and to be honest? I'm not sure I ever loved her in the first place. I was happier that I had a girlfriend than the fact that Jessica was my girlfriend. Oh, she was a great lass, pretty too, and we got on until we broke up, but...

"Hey, don't let an old codger like me do all the work!" Bunkichi laughed, pulling me out of my thoughts.

* * *

We both scoured the shelves for a book that would do, and after a few minutes, we finally found it. We took it to the till and Bunkichi's wife came downstairs. She looked like she'd just been told that the world was ending.

"T-Tree…" she whimpered.

I was getting worried. "What happened?" She looked pale.

"See? You have Minato-chan worried now…" Bunkichi poured a cup of tea and handed it to her. "Here, drink this dear…"

He handed me a cup as well. "Here's one for you Minato-chan." I thanked him for the offer and sipped the drink. Japanese Herbal tea just isn't the same…

Mitsuko seemed to calm down a little. "T-the persimmon tree by the walkway… at your school…" the one that was planted by their son's students before he died? "I-I heard a rumour that it was going to be cut down…" oh… no wonder she looked like she was about to faint.

"What!" Bunkichi turned to me. "Do you know anything about this, Minato-chan?"

I shook my head. "Now, you have me worried."

Bunkichi smiled. "You're so kind Minato-chan." He turned to his wife. "I'll try to look into the rumour, but I may end up 'barking' up the wrong tree!"

I winced. "That pun was just 'Pine'ful."

Bunkichi hooted with laughter and Mitsuko smiled. I slipped some money onto the counter. "I need to get off to school." I said, slipping the book into my bag. "I'll come back later to tell you what I can find out." I left before Bunkichi tried to give me the book for free. "Later!"

I felt time stop again as I left the shop. Hi there Hierophant card. Bye-Bye Hierophant card.

* * *

I bumped into Junpei on the way to school.

"Wazzup?" he smirked. "Today is just an ordinary day, huh?"

"Apparently." I shrugged.

"That was crazy though," Junpei continued. "They day before yesterday. I've never had that kind of thrill before in my life!"

"Huh? You were fighting too Junpei-kun?" Kazushi asked as he walked up to us. Junpei turned to me with horror.

"Oh yeah." I turned to Kazushi. "He took a couple of guys on his own!"

Junpei got the hint. "Oh, gotcha." Apparently he missed that hint though. "Yeah, those guys didn't stand a chance!" he added, throwing a few shadow punches.

"Woah, You better not become a delinquent Minato." Kazushi looked serious. "You're on the Kendo team! Street fighting can-"

"Get me kicked off the team, I know. But those guys crossed the line. Don't worry," I added, patting his shoulder, "No one knows I did it. "

Kazushi sighed. "You sure?"

"Trust me." I grinned. "I'm like a ninja. Check it out…" I showed him a slim leather case. "This is Junpei's wallet."

"Huh!" Junpei frantically checked his pockets, before grabbing it. "Give it here!" he shoved it back into his back pocket.

The bell rang. "Come on," Kazushi told us, "Let's go!"

* * *

I slept through Mr Ekoda's lecture.

Exams were starting next week, but I didn't care.

He was doing the standard pre-exam rant, so it was fine.

Hey, it's not like I've got anything to lose. If I fail, I'll just go back to England and use those qualifications.

* * *

I tried to check out the student council room after school, but apparently it was locked until after the exams.

If that was the case though, then there was no chance I could talk to a teacher about the tree, so I decided to cut my losses and head straight for Bookworms.

"Oh, hello Minato-chan." Mitsuko greeted, looking a damn sight better than this morning. "We were just talking about you."

Bunkichi and Mitsuko still looked worried. Bunkichi apologised to me. "I'm sorry for troubling you about the Persimmon tree."

"I'll 'Root' out the truth!" I'd figured out that the best way to cheer up the old man was to tell worse jokes than he did.

"Good one Minato-chan!" he laughed. Told you. "It's really nice having you around. I can make stupid puns whenever I feel like it!"

"I'm laughing my 'ash' off."

Bunkichi chuckled, then became serious. "That tree… I can't believe it's going to be cut down…"

I nodded. "It reminds you of your son, right?"

Bunkichi nodded. "It was planted on graduation day with his first class…"

"It's just about to bear fruit…" Mitsuko looked like she was on the verge of tears. "Why now? Why do they want to cut it down now?"

I wanted her to cheer up, but asking her to do that seemed silly. I settled for "Don't worry."

"Thank you… Minato-chan." The old woman smiled. "I feel a lot better. It's really comforting talking to you."

She seemed appreciative of the little support I could give her. Bunkichi, on the other hand, looked impressed.

"Wow, Minato-chan, you've really captured her heart!" Odd phrasing. "You must be really popular with the ladies!"

Urp. "No, not really…"

"Nonsense! My wife's no sucker after all!" Bunkichi clapped me on the shoulder. "I feel like I'm looking at myself back in my prime! Course, back in my day, short hair was fashionable."

"Hands off the hair old man." I threatened.

Bunkichi laughed. "Are you kidding?" he leaned forward and whispered into my ear. "It gives you an air of mystery lad. Makes a woman swoon faster than any soldier's uniform."

**SMASH**

_Thou art I… And I am thou…_

_Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Hierophant Arcana._

Time started again and Bunkichi moved away from my face. "Don't worry about the tree, Minato-chan. Just stop by when you have the chance." Bunkichi then thought of something and added "Say, you're doing exams soon aren't you?"

I nodded. "They start Monday."

"Well then, you'd better be headed off. Here," he stuffed a packaged bun into my pocket. "Something to keep you going."

I thanked the old couple and left. I liked them. They were good people, and they deserved better than what life had dealt them, first losing their son, and now this.

Mind you, they're not the only ones life handed the crap cards too.

Sigh. Well, best be off back to the dorm. I didn't even consider asking Mitsuru if we could go to Tartarus that night. Everyone still in shock over Saturday.

* * *

Yukari didn't have Archery club the next morning, so we walked to school together. Apparently a lot of people who were suffering from Apathy Syndrome had suddenly recovered. I told her about my theory that if a Shadow is defeated, then its victims recovered, so destroying a huge Shadow would help a lot of people recover. Our efforts paid off.

"I think so too." She told me. "It was dangerous, but I'm glad we did it." We approached the train station where we recently had our battle. "We shouldn't get carried away though, cuz we have midterms next week."

"NOOOOO! IT'S NOT POSSIBLE!"

Some guy ran past us crying. "Hey, it's that odd chap from before."

"What's his problem?" She asked, turning back to face me. "Well, let's just hope nothing like that happens again until Midterms are over."

Oh, that reminded me. "Hey, you feel like going to Tartarus tonight?"

"Oh…" guess not then. "I was actually going over to a friend's house to study tonight…"

I nodded. "Tomorrow then?"

We boarded the train. "Sure. Hey, you okay about Mr. Ekoda's book?" we were told that half of the exam for his class would be on this book he told us all to read.

"I finished it ages ago." I shrugged. "Pretty good, but I had a few problems with the character development at times…"

And that is how a conversation turns into a quick tutoring session on literature.

* * *

I hung around Chagall Café after school revising.

At least, I was supposed to be, but I was actually studying my new book on business strategy while comparing the stock market of various businesses in Japan and making predictions. It was unexpectedly useful, kinda like 'Art of War', translated for business. I'd already read Sun Tzu's work a few times already, so I was soaking in this business version like a sponge.

I felt several pairs of eyes looking at me. Was this an effect of the coffee?

I looked around, but the only person looking at me was this middle aged man in a suit. Devil Arcana. It was pretty creepy.

Come to think about it, he looked familiar somehow. Was a he stalker? That would be even creepier. I looked away from him, focusing on my book.

He walked over to me and sat opposite me. Oh crap.

"My, you're handsome."

Oh, SNAP! Damn this coffee to hell!

"Tell me young man, how would you like to have your dreams come true? I have a golden opportunity for you."

Normally, I'd say I wasn't interested, but something was telling me to hear him out. "Tell me more..."

The man smiled. "I'm only telling this to you, so don't tell anyone this, okay?" he was enjoying this. "I can make you rich. Guaranteed."

"Nothing is guaranteed. Many major companies are failing today because they believed that their success was guaranteed." I replied instantly before he showed me his van.

The man was taken aback, but persevered. "All you need is twenty thousand yen, and your investment will multiply by ten- no, a hundred fold!"

A hundred and twenty six pound investment? "Two hundred and eleven dollars is a lot of money."

"The best part is that you don't have to do a thing!" The man was cracking, but he hid it well. "You'll become fabulously wealthy while you sleep!"

The man regained composure. He was a good liar, so combine that with the nice suit and he was probably in big business. He'd be good practice before I go up against Elizabeth. "Just give me the twenty thousand yen and I'll take care of the rest." He added.

I thought about it. "Well," the businessman began, "What do you say?"

"Honestly?" I asked, closing the book and leaning onto the table. "I have a few… reservations I would like clearing up first."

Surprise and Contempt flashed across the businessman's face, but he hid it well. If I wasn't looking at his face, I would never have seen it. Thank You, Paul Ekman. "What would they be, son?"

"Well, first I would like to know where my money is being invested." I explained, glancing at the computer screen before closing the lid. "The Kirijo Group's stock is rising, as is the new up and coming Junes chain, thanks to the Tanaka Megacorps investment. However several other companies, such as the Nanjo and Shibuya organisations, are failing as of late." The man seemed disturbed at this, but I continued. "My concern lies in whether or not I could make a good return on my money." I took a sip from my drink and looked up. "The Shibuya group in particular is in danger. So much so that they are likely to turn to another company for financial aid."

The man stood up to leave. "You don't know what you're talking about kid." He didn't bother to hide his scorn this time. "The Shibuya group may be suffering from the recession, but that company's CEO is too proud to humble himself like that."

"I know." I replied calmly. "This is why their Board of Directors will most likely band together to force him out. My prediction is that they will approach either the Kirijo, Virgin, or more likely, the Tanaka Mega Corporation within the next few days."

The man scoffed. "Sucking up to me won't do you any good kid."

"Oh, are you part of one of those companies?" I asked him.

He turned to leave and threw a business card onto the table.

_President Tanaka S. - CEO of Tanaka Mega Corp. _

Oh.

I sighed as returned to my book.

* * *

I left about fifteen minutes later and saw a Limo parked outside. President Tanaka stepped out of the back, door held open by a body guard type person.

"Where is he… AHA!" He saw me and ran towards me. "You!" he shouted, grabbing my shoulders "HOW DID YOU KNOW?"

I forced him off. I held back because he'd probably sue my arse. "How did I know what?" I asked, confused.

"How did you know that Shibuya was having a takeover?" he demanded.

Didn't see that coming. "The president was making poor decisions because of his pride and desire to cling to the past." I explained, retroactively explaining my gut instincts. "It would only be natural that those who worked their way to the top would want to protect their livelihood, and remove their biggest threat. Didn't expect it to happen so soon though…"

Tanaka face palmed. "Dammit… Shibuya just approached one of our guys asking us to buy into it."

Wow, I was good at this business thing. "What're you going to do?" I asked him.

Tanaka looked at me and smiled. "What would you do?"

I frowned. He's testing me.

Alright, let's test him. "With President Shibuya out of the picture, then his forty five percent share would now be open game." I explained. "He would have held on to some of it, of course, and the other board members would surely have bought much of the majority shares…" I did a few rough calculations. "I would pay a thirteen point seven million US dollar bailout for thirty two percent shares, with the opportunity to buy those back over the next nine and a half years at a four point six percent interest rate."

"That's some pretty accurate numbers kid." Tanaka said in a warning tone.

"The numbers are irrelevant;" I said. "It's the precision and detail that put you in control." Dayumn, I really am good at this. "This gives an impression that you are smarter than you actually are, and that you have thought this decision through and are planning ahead of the game. The rates are tough but fair, and easily payable. The share allows you to have a strong say in how the company is run, and allowing them to buy it back in the future means you are considering their wellbeing as well as your own, which makes them more likely to trust and obey you."

Tanaka nodded and lifted his phone out of his pocket. It was on speaker phone to someone the whole time. "You heard the kid. Do it."

_\_ "_But- but sir-!_" _\_

"Do it. That is my decision." Tanaka hung up and looked at me. "Kid… how would you like a job?"

**SMASH**

_Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Devil Arcana…_

Why did that not surprise me? "Sure, why not?"


	18. Rebuild 018

You might not think it, but Tanaka's job offer was actually a difficult decision for me.

Now, if I took the job, I'd be a millionaire in five years, but I'd definitely have less time to spend with my social links and strengthening my Persona.

That and there are those pesky child labour laws, so I told him I'd give him an answer within a week. The next day I still didn't have a clue as to what I should do.

Hell, it was bothering me so much I couldn't even focus in class, until Mr Takenozuka called my name during physics.

"What was Einstein's famous theory?" he shouted at me. "Quick!"

That was so easy. "General relativity theory," I answered. "It refers to gravity as a geometric distortion of space time, which allows for the existence of black holes."

"You sir, are correct!" Well, duh. It was fairly obvious.

"I didn't know that." A voice from behind me.

"I thought it was E=MC squared…" Another voice. Okay, so maybe it wasn't so obvious.

* * *

Back at the dorm, me, Yukari and Junpei were in the lounge studying. Mitsuru told us to study in groups because then we could help each other, by which she meant Junpei.

Oh, Junpei wasn't stupid, far from it; he just had no concentration when it came to books.

Me? I prefer to learn it first time round, then remind and test myself before the exam. It's the way _men_ study.

Junpei sighed. "Man, I'm tired of studying…" Fairs fair, he had been doing it for the past five hours straight. "Wanna go to Tartarus dude?"

Actually, that was an interesting idea. Elizabeth had mentioned a new pathway earlier.

"Go on then." I turned to our other study partner. "Yukari, you coming?"

"We do have exams next week you know." she pointed out.

"Constant studying without physical exercise is stressful and can hinder your performance in the exam." I countered.

Yukari blinked, then she sighed. "What the hell, I'll go!"

"Sweetness!"

* * *

I paid a visit to the velvet room once we got inside the tower. Elizabeth said that she had a special mission for me.

"If you can reach the next barrier and retrieve the document from there by the next full moon, I will give you a special reward." She explained, pulling out a set of scrolls. "These," she said, "are the Scrolls of Armaments."

"What do they do?" I asked.

She unrolled one slightly. There were a row of 'pages' inside, each with a circle surrounding a skull. "Each scroll can carry a type of equipment." she said. "Each seal can hold one piece of equipment. This scroll can hold weapons," she said, gesturing to the scroll. "These two, on the other hand, can contain armour and equipment respectively."

This was interesting. "How's it work?"

"If you would mind..?" I handed her my sword. She took it and pressed it against the first seal. The sword disappeared, the skull replaced with a symbol of the weapon. She then pressed her hand against it again, and my sword reappeared in her hand. "Each scroll can host over fifty pieces of equipment." She told me, offering my sword back to me.

Must… Get… Those… Scrolls…

* * *

We reached the sixteenth floor in record time. Yukari and Junpei were surprised that the barrier had gone, but I expected it. "Let's go."

I was not expecting, however, what was on the next level. It was like some sort of demented cinema, and there were these… faces on the wall.

Ever seen a drawing by H.R. Giger? Because that was exactly what it was like. It... it kinda made you dizzy just to walk in there.

This was a bad thing.

**"You've reached the second block, Arqa." **Mitsuru explained. **"****The enemies have changed, and are more powerful than the ones in the previous block, so stay alert."**

"Can you sense where the next barrier is?" I asked.

**"I'll check, but it'll take some time. Advance while I scan ahead."**

"Thanks." I turned to my teammates and gripped my sword. "Let's go."

* * *

We found the first cluster of Shadows fairly quickly. I got Yukari to shoot it from a distance so I could come up with a plan of attack. It revealed to be some cloaked things in a mask I hadn't seen before.

**"Phantom mages, Hermit Arcana." **Mitsuru said. **"Don't use fire or dark skills. Hama, however, will be very effective."**

"Thanks." I told her. "ARCHANGEL!" Cards flew around one Shadow, killing it in a flash of light. I did the same to another, but it survived. "GO!"

We all charged and stormed the two remaining phantoms. One launched an attack but I dodged it, ramming my sword through the hole in its mask and dragging my sword down through its teeth, killing it. I span around to see Yukari summon Io, blasting the phantom with a burst of wind while I stabbed it in the back.

"Where's Junpei-kun?" she asked, once the Phantom dead.

I looked back along the corridor and found him. "Oh, Hell no…" he was on the ground, not moving.

* * *

We rushed for him and checked his pulse. Heart rate fine, still breathing. **"He's completely out cold; he must have been hit by a Mudo."**

I nodded and pulled a revival bead out of my pocket. Brilliant idea from the pharmacist, they're capsules of adrenaline mixed with smelling salts that, when swallowed, are guaranteed to wake you up so long as you weren't dead or in a coma. I poked it into Junpei's mouth and his eyes opened. He rolled onto his hands and knees and spat the half-dissolved tablet out; he didn't even need to swallow it. It was _that_ good.

"Rise and shine sleeping beauty." I smirked.

"Screw you…" Junpei spat the sour taste out of his mouth. "Dammit… I'm gonna taste that all week!"

"At least you're still fighting." I helped him up. "You ready to go?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Nope."

"Then let's get going!" He glanced over my shoulder. "Aren't you going to grab those? I thought you liked collecting trophies from your kills?"

I followed his gaze to see some old lanterns. Dude, how did I miss those bad boys? I grabbed them and shoved them into my bag. Elizabeth would pay good money for stuff like that. There was also a torn piece of black cloth underneath one of the lanterns, so I pocketed that as well for good measure.

**"The barrier is at the fortieth floor, but you won't be able to make it there tonight." **Mitsuru said. **"There's a large Shadow on the twenty-fifth floor, so that is your goal for tonight."**

"Thanks Senpai." I said as I turned to the others "Let's get moving."

* * *

Not much happened on the nineteenth, twentieth and twenty-first floors. There were a couple of standard skirmishes on each floor, but nothing important.

On the twenty-second floor, however, all warmth left the room we were in.

**"IT'S THE REAPER!" **Mitsuru shouted. **"ABORT THE MISSION!"**

Bugger.

I put on a brave face and edged into the corridor carefully. Checking that the coast was clear, I waved Junpei and Yukari over. We dashed across the hallway, relying on Mitsuru's guidance to avoid the Reaper.

Wait, is that the stairs? "Come on!" I whispered. "Let's go."

**"I told you to abort!"**

"This is faster." I countered. "Come on!"

We started to creep down the corridor. The stairs were a hundred metres away down a straight corridor when Mitsuru burst my bubble.

**"It's found you! Hurry!"**

"GO!" I ordered, running for my life. I kept behind Junpei and Yukari, making sure they got to the stairs safely. I saw the Reaper rushing for us, accelerating and quickly gaining on us. "GO! _GO!_"

It caught up with us, flying alongside us as we ran for our lives. It aimed its weapon at us when suddenly

It stopped.

It just floated there, glaring at us like a cat would glare at a mouse hiding behind a dog. Why? I looked around and saw that we were standing on the stairs. "Hold on…" I started walking down the stairs.

"Minato!"

"Dude, you insane!"

**"Arisoto! What are you doing?"**

"Testing something…" I walked towards the Reaper. It was in the hallway just outside the stair room, as if it was waiting outside a door of some sort. It glared right at me, and I glared right back.

I picked up a stone from the floor and, taking a few steps back, threw it as hard as I could, right in its eye.

"WHAT THE HELL!" was everyone's response to my actions.

The Reaper, however, didn't even blink, the stone just bounced off it, but everyone else more than made up for its non-reaction.

Time to push this further.

"COME ON!" I shouted at the Reaper, arms spread wide. "ATTACK ME! DESTROY ME OH GREAT DESTROYER OF WORLDS! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!" Everyone looked at me like I was insane, until I dropped my arms and smiled. "You can't… can you? You can't enter this room can you?"

_**No **_

I nearly soiled myself.

_**That would ruin the game**_

The hell?

_**And I shall remember your insolence, Fool, and it shall cost you dearly**_

The Reaper drew itself to its full height.

It was like death itself was staring down at me.

And I know how that feels like.

_**This was going to be a fair game, but you dare challenge ME? The Night Itself? **_

I stared blankly as the Reaper turned to leave.

_**So be it**_

The hell! What did I just do?

**"I don't understand… why is it leaving? It could easily have killed you…"**

"It couldn't…" I answered. "That would have ruined the game…"

"Huh?" Yukari responded. "What game?"

"I have no idea myself…" I was more concerned at what the Reaper had just said.

Did I just start an open vendetta with the grim reaper himself?

That... might not have been such a good move...

* * *

We got to the next floor, but couldn't see much of it.

Oh. That's what he meant.

**"There are more Shadows on this floor than usual!" **Mitsuru told us. **"I'm sensing an increase in Shadows in the floors above you as well!"**

"I'm Sorry…" I started. "I think this is my fault…"

"You just _had_ to piss off the Reaper, didn't you?" Yukari was mad, but to be fair she had a damn good reason to be. "Ah, whatever, what's done is done. This isn't as bad as it was on the train." Only because there was more space to move in the tower floor than there was in a train car.

"Heheh… this is what I signed up for!" The mad hatter with a sword said with glee. "COME ON!" Junpei roared as he charged it.

I followed him, while Yukari took a back seat in the carnage, choosing to pick the Shadows off one by one with her arrows instead of joining the brawl.

The twenty-forth floor was the same, only we used our Personae more. When we reached the Tartarus boss, I immediately activated the escape route and ran to the Velvet Room.

* * *

"IscrewedupIgorwhatdoIdo!"

"For now, just relax." Igor said calmingly, gesturing for me to sit down. I did, panting, letting out all the fear I'd been hiding from my teammates. "Now then, you've just earned yourself the Reaper's interest, am I right?"

"You could say that." I sighed.

Igor smiled further. "Well, I'll have you know that the Reaper itself is not strictly a Shadow."

Wait, what?

"As you know, all Shadows wear a mask depicting their Arcana." he said. "The Reaper, however, does not. And it is certainly not the angel of Death. That, I can guarantee." That was calming. "However, it is true that you have just made taken your journey down a far harsher path. Nonetheless, _You_ signed a contract, did you not?" Igor summoned it to remind me.

_I, Minato Arisoto, give my word that I will take full responsibility for the consequences of my decisions._

"This is a direct consequence from a decision _you_ made." he said, peering down his nose and into my eyes. "It was not a well thought out decision, nor were you aware of the consequences. Nevertheless, it was your decision to make and you must take responsibility."

Damn us English and our bravado. I sighed. "Can I still do this?" I asked.

Igor grinned. "Why, most certainly!" He said with glee. "I am merely stating that it will be far more difficult for you in future." That's not that reassuring. "But this is why you must watch yourself closely, and think all decisions through carefully. This will be an important lesson from you, and I sincerely hope that you learn from it."

So, he's kicking me out...

I sighed. "Alright. Thank you for everything." I stood to leave.

"Please, don't misunderstand."

I looked back to the long nosed man. "Your change in circumstances with the Reaper does not affect _our_ agreement." he said.

Wait, what?

"I will support any decision you make."Igor explained. "For as long as you are willing to accept the consequences of your decisions, we will continue to offer you our services. And as for that Torn Black Cloth on your person…" Igor grinned as I reached into my pocket for the old rag. "We can offer you a _very_ special service…"

* * *

I stepped out of the Velvet Room with a sadistic grin on my face. I began to approach the teleporter slowly but confidently.

"Dude…" Junpei moved to stop me. "You okay?"

"Never better..." My smile grew slightly. "Let's go."

"What?" Mitsuru was shocked. "You can't go back in there! You need to rest!"

My grin was extremely visible. "Just watch."

* * *

_I see no, hear no evil  
Black writings on the wall_

I walked towards the three Crying Tables with a grin on my face.

_Unleash a million faces  
And one by one they fall_

They saw me and the flames sprang to life, rushing onto the walls and setting the room ablaze.

_Black hearted evil  
Brave hearted hero_

Yukari and Junpei panicked, the flames heating up the room. I calmly reached for my Evoker and put it to my head.

_I am all... I am all... I am_

I pulled the trigger, and a hooded figure rode into the battle on a pale horse. It pulled drew a scythe and sliced straight through the middle table, killing it instantly.

_Go ahead and try to see through me  
Do it if you dare_

"WHAT THE HELL!" I ignored Junpei and rushed after the rightmost table, slicing my sword upwards as I reached it.

_One step forward, two steps back  
I'm here_

I flipped back and **BANG!** The Pale Rider rode forth again, launching the two surviving shadows into the air with an evil, green wind. It caught one of them on its scythe, finishing it off.

_Do it… Do it… Do it… Do it… _

"This is our chance for an all out attack!"

_Can you see all of me?_

"Let's get 'em!"

_Walk into my mystery!_

"RRAARRGHH!"

_Step inside and hold on for dear life…_

The Shadow didn't stand a chance.

_Do you remember me?  
Catch you and set you free?  
I am all… I am all of me…_

I stood over its smouldering corpse, glaring into the hollows of its mask as it burned.

_I see and feel the evil  
My hands will crush them all_

I turned back from it, walking back towards the escape route as the flames died.

_You think you have the answer?  
Well I laugh and watch you fall…_

I could feel Junpei's and Yukari's stares in the back of my head, and could almost hear their thoughts.

_I am everyone, everywhere, anyhow, anyway_

_**Just what are you, human?**_

_I am… all that I am…_

"I am me. And I accept your challenge."

I could feel the Reaper's leer coming from the walls, almost as if it was the tower itself…

Igor was right. I had just made life a hell of a lot harder for myself…

But I chose this.

I didn't want this, but this is what I chose.

I didn't want to choose this, but I did.

Let's do this.


	19. Rebuild 019

Thursday was… interesting. I'm not sure if I've mentioned this or not, but when I change Persona, I change slightly. I can hide it easily, and the change is slight, normally just little urges to do stuff, or maybe I see things in a different light, or I treat people slightly different. I'm used to it now though, and I can deal with it to an extent that no-one notices.

This however, was… new.

I went through the school day with Pale Rider, my newest Persona. I had to say, it was incredible. Its speed and attack power were unlike anything I'd ever seen before in a Persona.

Then again, he was the fourth horseman of the apocalypse! Dude!

_And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.  
And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. _

Yeah, I actually looked that up in my bible. It confirmed what I already suspected, that Personae are based of mythology and religion, but that wasn't what surprised me about hosting the Rider.

It was the change in my perspective.

It was like… everyone was going to die.

Of course, I knew that first hand, but instead of it being a matter of a few decades, it became seventy hundred thousand hours until someone my age kicked the bucket.

Or forty two million minutes, or two and a half billion seconds until my classmates died.

Yes, those numbers are the same timeframe and yes, it's about seventy years, so if you're born, you have exactly 2,522,880,000 seconds until you are seventy years old.

Life is short.

And yet… people waste time. They sit around and complain about how bored they are, never actually going out and doing something.

That was another thing I noticed under the Rider's influence. Boredom. We live in a beautiful world, an advanced country, with so many mysteries still unexplained even within our own country and yet… we have the audacity to say that we are bored!

No, that's wrong… We have the imagination to live in such a majestic world and _invent_ boredom! Humans are… We are incredible… No wonder we interest the Reaper so much.

I just realised. I missed the perfect chance to say "Tell me your name, horse master, and I will tell you mine" to the Reaper last night. DAMMIT! I'm not gonna get another chance like that again!

Speaking of missed chances, I found myself in the same train as Chihiro after school, while headed for Bookworms. I met her on the first day, the girl who bumped into me, remember? Well, turns out that she's in the student council as well as me, but far from the confident Hidetoshi, she's really shy. Turns out she has some kind of fear of men. If that's not a chance for a social link, I don't know what is. I took a good hard look at her on the train. It was faint, but her Arcana was there. Justice.

_There is no Justice. Only Me._

Influence of the Reaper, I know, but it had to be said. I was wondering how I could start the social link off, when I saw some guy grab her arse.

Sick bastard... people actually do that? The poor lass was disgusted herself, but she wasn't resisting other than cringing. The train was packed, but she could still spin around and slap the guy.

Oh, right. Androphobia.

I started moving my way towards them, "Excuse me, pardon me…" when I saw the actually start fingering her.

Oh hell no, this sicko is going DOWN! I jumped up, grabbed the luggage bars, swung and landed on his shoulders, driving him to the ground. I stepped off him and he got up "What the hell kid! Who the fu-"

I grabbed him by the throat and forced him against the train door. "IF I EVER, **EVER, **SEE YOU DO THAT AGAIN, YOU END! **YOU HEAR ME?**"

I must have looked like hate incarnate, because it was running down his leg and I was now standing in the puddle. "Disgusting…" I grunted as the train pulled into the station. It wasn't my stop, but I hit the door open switch. "Get out of my sight…" I warned, kicking him off the train Spartan style.

I turned around and saw everyone was looking at me.

Well, I did just lay a beating on a guy inside a packed train, so what did I expect?

Well, up yours, train people. I couldn't have been the first passenger on this train to realise what was going on.

So I walked over to Chihiro and asked "You okay Chihiro-san?" Really I should have been using Chan, or Kohai, but again, best to be careful.

"H-hai… ano… a-arigato, A-Arisoto-senpai…"

Okay, nervous stuttering was harder to translate, but thankfully she used simple terms. "You sure?"

She shook her head forcefully. "Yes I… I'm fine… I've gotten used to it."

Holy crap… "This happen often?"

She shook her head, softer this time. "No, only once or twice a week…" she replied, with a hint of shame. "…It's okay though…"

No, it's not, and you know it isn't. "Where you headed?" I asked, as the doors closed and the train started moving again. A load of people had gotten off and gotten on, so we weren't the centre of attention anymore.

"Um… Iwatodai… Why?"

That was a coincidence. "Same here! I'm headed for the bookstore, you?"

She seemed surprised at that. "Me too. Um…" she blushed, as if talking to me was a great effort. "I- I never thought you would be interested in books... Senpai…"

Good, this was moving up to a conversation now. "Mostly English novels, but I'm getting into some Japanese titles too."

"Oh, you know English?"

"Brought up there."

"Eh!" not everyone in the school knew me you know. "Um… Sorry, I… I didn't mean to pry…"

"Don't be!" Didn't this girl have any self esteem? "That's what conversations are about!" Gotta get this back on track. "My mum was English, but she met my dad at Tokyo University and moved here when she married him." I explained. "I was born over here, had a sister but moved to England when I was eight to live with my Aunt and Uncle, Mum's brother, when mum, dad, granddad and little sister died."

As expected, shock horror. "It's fine, but don't apologise for it." I explained, keeping the ball of conversation rolling. "What about your family?"

"Um… My dad works in an office in Okinawa, s-so it's mostly just me and m-mom at home…"

"Do you see him often?"

"Um… y-yes… Once every few months or so…"

* * *

We struggled through the conversation on until we reached Bookworms. Bunkichi and Mitsuko were talking to each other behind the corner. Bunkichi nodded when I came through the door with Chihiro and said "Dear, Minato-chan is here… So, could you please cheer up?"

Mitsuko wiped her face and said "I… I understand their reasoning but… If that tree were removed I… I feel like the memory of our son will vanish with it…"

The lady doth protest too much, methinks. "Fighting like this won't help you know." I said, however.

"We're fine," Mitsuko said, turning to me. "We're not fighting, I was just fretting…" A smile returned to her face. "Sorry to make you worry." She seemed genuinely touched.

Bunkichi turned to me. "Apparently, the rumour was true… they really are going to cut down the persimmon tree…"

"That's awful…" I said, frowning.

Bunkichi nodded sadly. "We went to the school to say goodbye, but…" Bunkichi trailed off.

"It just reminded you of your son's death…" I finished for him. The couple seemed really depressed. "It'll be okay." I added, smiling slightly.

"See dear!" Bunkichi perked up. "That's exactly what I said! If you keep crying, what will your admirers think? Right, Minato-chan?"

I nodded. "I might start crying too!"

We laughed a bit, but Bunkichi suddenly turned serious. "Now Minato-chan, a man must never cry in front of a lady friend."

Oh, right! I looked behind me and saw Chihiro browsing some books. "You shouldn't ignore her like that just to talk to some old fogies like us now!" Mitsuko added.

"She's a friend from school, not like that." I replied, smiling sheepishly, "You're right though. But since I'm already here," I leaned onto the counter, "I'll help you first. Your best bet is to start gathering signatures for a petition against cutting down with the tree. I'd start with contacting your son's old students."

"No, it's okay." Mitsuko seemed appreciative of the suggestion. "We don't want them to go to all that trouble for us, and it probably won't work… but thank you."

**SMASH**

_Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to make a Persona of the Hierophant Arcana._

"Now get going Minato-chan!" Bunkichi hissed. "You don't want to keep a girl waiting."

I nodded, humouring the old man, and walked over to Chihiro. "Find anything you like?"

"Oh!" I seemed to have surprised her. "Um… Well… This place has such a good selection… I-I was having trouble deciding…" She looked at the bookshelf, embarrassed. "Um… What kind of books do you read S-Senpai?"

"Whatever takes my fancy at the time." I answered politely. "Usually the classics or manga."

She seemed impressed. "I- I didn't think you would be into that… The classics aren't very entertaining, but I can respect what the authors were trying to accomplish."

Not very entertaining? "Are we talking about Western Classics or Japanese Classics?"

"Oh!" she gasped. "Um… I'm sorry… I forgot you grew up outside the country didn't you?"

I laughed. "I forget myself sometimes." It's true, but very rarely. "Some of the western classics are brilliant…" I scanned the bookshelf until I found what I was looking for. "What about manga?"

That perked her up. "I love manga too. I have a whole shelf of Shoujo."

"Really?"

"Yeah," she answered, loosening up. "I tend to get frustrated when the main character can't ask out the guy she likes, because I can relate to her…"

"Same here." I caught her confused expression. "Other way around of course." I passed her a book from the shelf. Translated version of Pride and Prejudice. "Have you read this one?"

"Um… No, I-I haven't…"

"_This_, is a classic. You'll enjoy it." I leaned over a pile of books, stretched out while standing on one foot and slipped some money into Bunkichi's hand. "I've already paid for it, and I've already read it so you can't refuse."

"OH!" she seemed genuinely shocked. "Um… Um… T-Thank you, S-Senpai… Um…" she seemed to be hesitating. "Is… Is it boring to hang around with… a nerd like me?"

Aaand cue the perfect response in three… two… one… "I don't know, is it boring to hang around with a nerd like me?"

"Huh?" she seemed confused. "Um… No… Not at all…" she blushed slightly from behind the books she clutched to her chest.

"Then no, it isn't boring to hang out with you."

**SMASH**

_Thou art I… and I am thou…_

_Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to make a Persona of the Justice Arcana._

Eeeuuyes! Score!

"Um… I- I had best be going now…" Chihiro mumbled.

"Want me to come with you?" I offered,

"Oh, it's… It's okay!"

I shook my head. "It's no problem, really."

"But… Don't…" Oh shit, she's looking for an excuse. "Don't you have exams to prepare for?"

Nope. Already prepared. But I did have a Junpei to prepare for exams. "If you're absolutely sure…" I shrugged, realising I was overstepping my bounds.

"It's fine." She insisted. "I-I'll see you later, Minato-san." With that she walked out the door.

**SMASH**

Huh?

_Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to make a Persona of the Justice Arcana._

Holy crap, twice in two minutes?

I am _good._

"Ah well…" Bunkichi clapped me on the shoulder. "Better luck next time Minato-chan…"

"Actually…" I smiled at the old man. "…I think I did alright…" turning to face him, I added "She was calling me Senpai until just now."

Bunkichi caught on and grinned. "You sly dog…"

Grin. Bunkichi knows where it's at.

* * *

Back at the dorm, Junpei was playing on his PSP.

Wait, no it wasn't. Junpei's PSP was black, but he was playing on a white one.

"Oh, this?" Junpei answered when I asked about it. "Special edition, just came out. Want my old one?"

Actually, Elizabeth had mentioned me getting my hands on a handheld gaming console, so I jumped on the offer. "Sweet! Thanks."

"No probs, let me get it for you."

* * *

By the time he got back and handed me the old console, Yukari walked in. "Alright, time to hit the books!"

"What?" Junpei whined. "But you just got here, Yuka-Tan!"

"Well, we missed out last night, so we need to make up for it." she reasoned, dumping her school bag onto the desk

"I'll just go grab some supplies from the store," I said, getting up and walking to the door. "Anyone want anything?"

"Hey, don't you go bailing out on me!" Junpei shouted.

"Relax Junpei, I'll be back in twenty minutes." I gave him a look that translated to 'Enough time to go to your room to get your books, then save your game and hide it before Yukari confiscates it."

"Fine then," Yukari said, picking her bag up again. "Meet back here in half an hour. Don't you dare be late."

Yep, Yukari was serious about getting a good grade. "Be right back."

* * *

Half an hour later, I was cooking chilli and nachos in the kitchen.

Elizabeth ended up returning the PSP, something about making the player forget about the passing of time by sending electrical shocks up the arm affecting perception lobes in the brain.

Whatever. I got my reward anyways. Curse seals. They looked like the exploding tags from Naruto, which gave me an idea involving the kunai I'd be buying by the dozen tomorrow.

Anyway, right now I was cooking chilli and nachos for six. You never know who else might decide to join our little group.

"Hey, Minato-kun, you coming?" Junpei shouted.

"Yeah!" I told him, spooning the chilli onto the plate of nachos. "Hang on!" I sprinkled the cheese on top and debated whether or not it was worth microwaving it while I made them wait.

"Minato!" Yukari shouted. "Come On!" Righto then.

"Coming!" I grabbed the large dish and carried it into the lounge. "Brain fuel." I explained, placing it onto the table.

"Nice!" Junpei grinned, reaching for some delicious meat and fried corn, "Thanks man!"

"Thanks." Yukari added, reaching for some herself. "Now, let's get this over with. What shall we do first?"

Since we were in the same class, we all had the same subjects. Physics, Biology, Chemistry, History, Mathematics, Literature, Japanese, English, Business Studies, Health and Fitness, and General Studies.

So starting Monday, we would have six days in which to do eleven exams, so that made two a day, with Saturday afternoon off school. Results would be posted on the school notice board on Monday during lunch, which surprised me. Back in England, your results are given to you individually, probably to preserve the dignity of those who didn't do well.

Not here in Japan though. Here, they display your success or failure for everyone to see. They even rank you, like in races. I heard from Kenji that last place has to wear a dunce's hat until the next set of exams, but I doubt it. The humiliation of even being last place would be punishment enough.

"Hey, I heard that there might not be a Health and Fitness exam after all!" Junpei said, munching on his food.

"What are you talking about Stupei?" Yukari replied. "Of course there is!"

"No, seriously!" Junpei leaned forward, taking another nacho piled high with chilli. "He was caught up in a car accident the other day, so he's on leave for the rest of the year."

"No way…" Yukari whispered.

"Way!" Junpei nodded.

"Actually, Iori is correct." Mitsuru just walked in. "Mr. Takezawa was severely injured when the road he was driving on collapsed, and he will be unable to leave the hospital for some time. Even then, he has handed in his notice."

"What? Why?" Yukari was surprised, but I knew the answer.

"He's retiring off the compensation money, isn't he?" I smirked.

"He was retiring in a few years regardless, but yes, that would be correct, Arisoto." Mitsuru noted.

"Hey, Senpai!" Junpei started. "Can we go to Tartarus tonight?"

"We just went yesterday!" Yukari scolded him. "And we almost died, remember!"

"You kidding?" Junpei smirked. "I _live_ for danger!" He turned back to Mitsuru. "Can we? Please?"

Mitsuru closed her eyes and smiled, tilting her head slightly. "How are your grades Iori?"

"How are yours?" Junpei began, but stopped. "Never mind… I already know."

"I'm currently studying college level material for your information."

"What!" Junpei whined.

"I've graduated, then dropped out of college a few months in." I piped in, "So I've already studied college level material."

"What?" Junpei was in shock. "You some kinda super genius or something?"

"School leaving age is sixteen back in England." I answered, reaching for nachos. "Then there are two optional years we call College, then University." I leaned forward. "I did September to February of college, then dropped out to come over here." I picked up the plate and offered some to Mitsuru. "Fair enough, the difficulty level over here is higher, but I still get bragging rights."

Junpei leaned back against the couch, moaning. "Man… Now I don't feel like doing anything at all…"

"Well, colleges are different from universities back home, so I'm probably not at Mitsuru's level yet."I shrugged.

"So, why'd you leave?" Yukari asked as I lowered the plate, Mitsuru having taken her fill.

I looked at her. "I thought you read my file?"

"Family reasons can mean a lot of things." Mitsuru explained. "I admit that I'm curious myself."

Sigh. "You know I've got a criminal record for violence, right?" I asked. "Well, couple of months ago, the local gang gathered all the guys to take me down." I said. "I knew the area and we were right next to a frozen canal, so I had the advantage." I shrugged and grabbed a nacho. "Dark Hour hit, I was pulling coffins out of a river of blood, and I decided that I'd had enough and wanted out." Bit a nacho. "Japan seemed a nice place to go live a peaceful life."

That got some laughs, so I decided to ignore the fact that I beat up some guys within three days of being in Japan.

I picked up a book. "Alright, History. What's the difference between the Palaeolithic and the Neolithic eras?"

* * *

Next day, Friday, I bumped into Mitsuru in the school courtyard. "Good Morning. Exams begin next week. Are you prepared?"

"So long as the Reaper doesn't mess with my exam paper, I should be fine." I joked.

Mitsuru chuckled slightly. Admit it, I am better at making jokes than Ikutsuki is. "Well, I'll look forward to seeing them." Mitsuru said. "If they're good, I'll give you something… consider it a reward."

"Oh, thanks." Probably something good.

You know, a lesser man would have commented on how suggestive her phrasing was, but I'm... wait.

"To be honest, I'm not as well prepared as I should be." Mitsuru admitted. "I'm still preoccupied with monitoring Shadows…"

"Well, I kinda need you there when I kill them." I said. "Unless the Yamagishi girl turns out to be a Persona user that can provide support?"

"Unlikely, but if that's the case, then I can return to the front line." Mitsuru sighed. "At any rate, the number of incidents have decreased since the last mission. If we can continue to defeat them, we may be able to rid the public of its fear…"

"So my theory was correct then?" I asked, doing a victory dance in my head.

Mitsuru nodded. "However, every time a new Shadow appears, it seems to be more powerful than the last." she said. "And even after Akihiko recovers, we still won't be at full strength…"

I caught that. "Were there any Persona users who left S.E.E.S. then?" I asked. "Like Akihiko's friend?"

She was shocked at this. "How do you know about Shinjiro?"

Yep, she knew. "I sensed his Persona when I met him at the hospital." I told her. "His strength is incredible."

Mitsuru nodded. "It is, but we each have our own reason for fighting." she said. "Shinjiro however, has a reason to not fight, and I would prefer if you didn't pry into his business. If he wishes to return, then he will only do so of his own volition."

I love my brain. It finds loopholes so easily.

Return out of his own volition, huh?

So something needs to convince him to return?

I stored the beginning of _that_ idea onto 'Auto-plot' and nodded politely. "Alright." I said, phrasing my response carefully. "I'll keep it a secret from Junpei-kun and Yukari then."

"Thank you Arisoto."

Heh, Arigato Arisoto. Could be the beginning of a tongue twister.

* * *

**-}+{-**

**

* * *

**There have been problems of people being unable to find my main story, Persona 3: Fairly English Story. This is because that story belongs in the Megami Tensei Section.

But fear not. I moved this Rebuild to the Persona section so you can find it. Simply click the link to my user profile and continue reading Fairly English Story from the chapter after the latest chapter of the Rebuild. This is merely a higher-quality version of the earlier chapters, there's no need to read the older versions if you don't want to.

SamJaz out.


	20. Rebuild 020

I jogged to school with Akihiko on Saturday. His arm and ribs were almost fully healed, and couldn't wait to do some exercise.

Apparently he would be fit for battle after the exams, and since Mitsuru had forbidden exploration during them, I thought we might as well not to do any exploration for the rest of the week.

Hey, those scrolls would still be there when I got back right?

* * *

"Good Evening."

Okay. Awake. Green moonlight. In bed. Dark hour. Mysterious boy.

"Oh… Hey." I yawned.

The boy chuckled, sitting on my bed. I kicked off the covers and sat next to him. Brr… cold. "Thanks for the tip." I told him. "You saved my backside."

"I just thought it best to warn you." He told me. "After all, I'm always with you."

Hey, wait a second… "Did you say that on the train?"

"Why yes." he smiled.

"So you actually are with me all the time?"

The boy nodded.

"So why don't I see you more often?" I asked. "Why do you only talk to me during the dark hour, when you need to warn me or something?"

The boy seemed slightly puzzled. "Well, you're busy as it is." he shrugged. "I'm sure you need as little distraction as possible."

"Really." I said deadpan. "Because I really could have used someone holding me back a couple of nights ago."

The boy thought about this for a moment, nodded as if the thought had never occurred to him. "Angering the Reaper wasn't a very good idea…" he admitted. "Why did you do that?"

"Because I didn't know any better and I thought you would warn me if I was doing something stupid?"

"Why would you think that?" he asked.

"Because I thought we were friends."

The word seemed to shock the young boy. "F-Friends?"

I nodded. "Yeah, friends." I said, guilt tripping him. "Are we or aren't we?"

Kiddo looked thoughtful. "Well… Yes, I suppose…" he fumbled. "But… are you sure?"

I offered my hand. "Of course!" I told him warmly. "Minato Arisoto."

The boy closed his eyes, smiling. "Alright then." He opened them and took my hand. "My name is… Pharos." he decided. "You may call me that if you wish."

"Pharos… Nice to meet you." I said jokingly, shaking his hand.

He stood up. "Well, I'll let you get back to sleep." Pharos moved towards the door. "I'll see you soon, okay?"

I got back under the covers. "I better. Night!"

The boy chuckled as he opened the door. "Goodnight…" he closed the door behind him as he left.

**SMASH**

_Thou art I… And I am thou…_

_Thou shalt have our blessing __when thou choosest to make a Persona of the Death Arcana._

Oh, Pimping sweet.

* * *

"Good Morning."

Okay. Awake. Orange Sunlight. In bed. Morning. Mysterious boy.

"Oh… Hey." I yawned.

The boy chuckled, sitting on my bed. I kicked off the covers and sat next to him. Hmm… warm. "That was quick. What's up?"

"Nothing," answered Pharos. "I did say that I'd see you soon."

Oh. Cool. "Apparently I made created a social link with you last night." I said.

"The Death Arcana, I know." The boy didn't seem to mind. Rather, he seemed happy about it. I suppose he took it as proof we really were friends? "I wonder what power will come from it?"

I nodded. "Well, I need to get ready for school."

The boy tilted his head to one side. "No you don't."

Oh, wait. Sunday. I didn't need to get ready for school. I turned on the TV to see what was on.

_\__ "Anato no, Televy ni, Jika Net Tanaka! Everyone's Friend of Desire!" __\_ _  
_

Oh, that's right. Tanaka sells stuff on Sunday TV.

Oh, that's right, Tanaka offered me a job.

"Hey, Pharos…" He looked at me expectantly. "Think I should take the job?"

"Well, the powers of the Devil Arcana are great." he pointed out.

"I expect so… what with Lucifer the Archangel and everything else."

"Actually, The Persona Lucifer is of the Judgement Arcana."

I span around to see him. "Seriously?"

He nodded. "However, you will need the powers of the Devil Arcana at its fullest to be able to summon him."

"Figures…" I looked at the TV. He was selling some cheap knock off katana. It looked fancy, but I could see that it was nothing much. Power of Persona, but still… "I meant morally." I clarified. "_Should_ I take the job?"

"Not as Minato Arisoto, that's for certain."

Evil grin. "Got an alias in mind?"

"I like Mochizuki." Pharos said.

"Full Moon?" It was symbolic. "I like it." I reached for the suit in my wardrobe.

* * *

"Hi there, I'm here to see President Tanaka." I told the receptionist at Tanaka's head office.

The receptionist behind the desk looked at me disdainfully. I was wearing a dark grey business suit and I'd combed my hair back. I also brought a briefcase over my normal satchel. Not that I really needed it, it was more for the image. I needed to look three years older than I actually was.

"Do you have an appointment?" she asked.

Arcana swiitch! Take-Mikazuchi. "I would say that he has an appointment." I told her confidently. "Tell him it's the man he hired on Tuesday."

The young woman frowned in a confused way, but called Tanaka's Secretary.

"Does Mr. President have an appointment with a young man he hired on Tuesday?" she asked once the other line picked up.

...

"Not in his face, but yes."

...

"Understood." The receptionist sighed and looked at me as she hung up the phone. "Mr. Tanaka has just got back from a live shoot, so try to disturb his meal as little as possible." she said. "His office is on the top floor."

"Thank you very much." I bowed slightly.

* * *

"I take it you've accepted my generous offer then?" Tanaka asked, grinning.

I sat down opposite him. "I've come to negotiate."

Tanaka sighed. "I knew this would happen. Go on then."

"I need to work from home." I stated. "I will report to the office once a week to file a fiscal report for the near future, plus I will be on call for emergencies. And I mean emergencies." I looked at him in the eye and leant forward into a Gendo pose. "I will require a work mobile phone, plus full access to the company's information and computer network. And I want a starting bonus equal to three months pay, and to be paid weekly as opposed to monthly."

I doubt he'll go for it, but I know it's best to start off big when negotiating, but not so extreme that the other guy to write you off as unreasonable.

"Done." Tanaka said, holding out a hand to shake.

Huh?

"If you are as skilled as I think you are, then you'll easily earn your keep, even at those rates." he said. "I actually was going to suggest you working from home in order to minimise suspicion of me hiring a minor." Tanaka looked at his computer.

"He's opening up a bank account." Pharos said, suddenly appearing behind him. "In Switzerland."

"I want your pay to be untraceable to a minor." Tanaka told me. "What's your name kid?"

"Orpheus." I told him. "Orpheus Mochizuki."

He typed it in. "Now what's your real name?" he asked.

"Minato." He seemed to want the same thing I did. "Minato Arisoto."

That surprised him. "Relative of Hayate Arisoto?"

"Um… Yeah." That surprised me. "He was my father."

"That explains a lot…" Tanaka smirked. "Brilliant man... Shame about what happened, right? Come to think of it…" Tanaka looked at me thoughtfully. "I think I remember him buying everyone drinks when you were born…"

**SMASH**

_Thou shalt have our blessing __when thou choosest to make a Persona of the Devil Arcana._

"See?" Pharos asked, smirking. "I told you coming would pay off."

Time started again, and my brain recovered.

* * *

Tanaka gave me some files to look through while he got a guy to fake an identity for me. "Anything for Hayate's kid!" the man had laughed as he cheerfully broke labour and identity laws for my sake.

Apparently dad was popular around the office.

* * *

I explained to Tanaka that I wouldn't be able to do anything for a week due to exams, but I gave a fairly detailed report of predictions for the coming week to him there and then. He seemed appreciative, telling me that my paycheck was in the mail.

It was getting dark by the time I left, and when I did, I flicked my hair forward and took off my tie. It felt weird with the right hand side of my face exposed.

Still, I walked back towards the train station with no regrets.

"Hm? Arisoto?"

Ah bugger.

I turned around to see Mitsuru looking at me from the back seat of a Bentley.

I'm screwed. "Uh… Hi?" I told her as I approached the car, not looking suspicious at all.

"Shouldn't you be studying for the exam tomorrow?" she asked.

"I needed some fresh air." I lied smoothly.

"In a suit?"

Crap. "There was something I needed to take care of…" I started.

Mitsuru nodded. "I see." she said. "Were you visiting your parents graves?"

That struck me senseless.

I didn't even believe myself.

I had been here for over a month and not once did I even consider seeing my parents graves.

Not once.

"Actually… I'm going there now." I told her.

Mitsuru nodded. "I understand. Make sure you are home in time to get a good rest for tomorrow. Do you need a lift?" she offered.

"No…" I shook my head. "No, I'm fine. Later."

I walked off.

"You seem depressed." Pharos told me.

I was actually disgusted with myself.

What kind of son am I?

* * *

I made my way to the graveyard.

_Hayate and Charity Arisoto_

Wow.

Now that I'm actually here, I had no idea what to say.

Normally, I like funerals. I've been to them for ages.

I remember attending a funeral of one of dad's mates when I was five. Natalie was still a baby then.

_If he's old enough to know about life_ he'd say, _he's old enough to know about death._

Dad was practical like that.

Oh, he wasn't a harsh parent, far from it. I remember everyone loving him, which made no sense to me at the time since it seemed he was always picking on somebody, but looking back, I guess that he picked on everyone _because_ he loved them.

Hey, a very good measure of how good your friends are is how much you can insult them without them taking offence, right dad?

Mum was always telling him off for that.

She rarely said an unkind word to anyone. Well, she got stressed when I acted up, but come on; I wasn't even Pharos's age.

Come to think of it, I don't remember much about them, but what little I do is all happy memories.

Memories that made an impact on me.

"Mum…"

Now that I remember correctly, Dad was an only child too. Grandma and Granddad were going to look after us, but after the fire, it was just me and Grandma, and she was just too old to look after me in the state I was in.

After Natalie died...

Grandma's dead now and all, and their house was sold and demolished. The money's in a trust for me when I become 18 next year, but it means I can't visit Natalie's grave anymore.

I don't have anything of hers.

Nothing of mum's or dad's...

I had dad's gun and lighter for a while, but they were taken from me after Natalie died.

I... I just didn't want to live anymore.

I couldn't cry when mum and dad died.

I couldn't cry at their funerals.

My heart was broken. I just couldn't feel anything. I just had to look after Natalie. That was all that mattered.

When she died... that was it.

I cried.

I cried and cried and cried, but whenever I looked in the mirror, I just looked bored.

I never mourned mum or dad.

I never got chance to.

Natalie was more important to me.

Everything else was lost in the pain.

* * *

At some point, it started to rain.

I like the rain.

It washes the pain away.

In the end, everything's lost like tears in the rain.

I rubbed my eyes with my sleeve.

Blood.

That happens sometimes.

It only bleeds when it hurts.

* * *

A lot of people have told me that they're sorry about my parents.

I say it's okay, and not to apologise but really… it hurt.

It hurt that other people had parents and I don't.

No... no it doesn't.

It hurts that I'm alone.

"You're not alone."

I turned around to see Pharos sitting on someone's tombstone. He hopped off it and walked towards mum and dad's grave and started praying.

He opened one eye and glanced at me. "Aren't you going to pray too?"

"I'm English." I told him. "We pray to God."

And talk to the dead.

And I still didn't know what to say.

Other than "Thanks…"

I wasn't sure who I was thanking, or why, but I had a bunch of questions I never got to ask.

What did they want for me? What did they think of what I was doing? Did they approve? Did they want their son risking his life in combat on a regular basis? What about him working in dad's office while still at school? Would they be happy about the fact that their son is manipulating, playing people in order to get close to them so he can gain power?

Probably not.

'_I, Minato Arisoto, give my word that I will take full responsibility for the consequences of my decisions.'_

That's right.

"I'm sorry mum, dad…" I said, squatting down in front of the grave. "I couldn't look after Natalie. I know this probably isn't what you wanted from your son… but this is who I am…"

This is who I have to be…

I blinked some of the tears and blood out of my eyes. "I miss you." I told them. "Auntie Anne and Uncle Amos took good care for me, and I love them, but… I miss you…"

Damn… this hurts…

"I might not be doing what you might have wanted me to do with life, but I promise that I will do my best to live my life without any regrets."

_Like dad did._

I stood up. "I promise that I'll make myself someone to be proud of." I said. "Someone who could've protected her."

With that, I walked away from my parents' grave.

Crying.

* * *

I don't remember much about the journey home, other than I did it in silence.

Come to think about it… I started the day with such bravado… such arrogance… but right now…

I don't think that I've felt more humble now than I ever have in my entire life.

No, no I remember a time.

My eighth birthday.


	21. Rebuild 021

I'm not talking about the exams. No way. Nothing interesting happened before or after school during exam time, Mitsuru was adamant on that. I suffered them, doesn't mean you have to, so I'm gonna skip that completely.

Well, I'd like to, but you ought to know that Pharos cheats.

Yeah.

He kept walking around the classroom telling me what everyone was writing.

This probably means that he's real, and not just a figment of my imagination.

I'd like to say that I ignored him, but sometimes he told me an answer I knew was wrong, which led me onto what the real answer was. And it's hard to look back and check your answers if you've been told what they were, so I tried to keep some integrity by not changing the questions I know that I wouldn't have gotten.

I just hope that it doesn't come back to bite me in the backside later.

* * *

So, Saturday we had the last exam, General Studies. I was able to take it easy, since Pharos couldn't help me on this one. For each question, you were given two sides of an argument and had to write your argument for or against the topic of the debate.

I know for a fact that I aced it. Convincing people to my point of view was easy for me.

* * *

"Hey! Minato-kun!"

I turned around. "'Sup Kazushi-kun." I waved as my teammate walked up to me.

"Hey, rest of the team are going out later, you coming?" he offered.

I shrugged. "Sure, why not?" I asked. "Is Yuko-san going?"

Kazushi nodded. "Yeah, it was her idea." he said. "Anyway, we're going for Karaoke, but can you cover me for a few hours?"

I nodded. "Your mum worried about the results?"

He nodded. We both knew that we weren't talking about exams.

I reached into my pocket and passed him 5,000 yen. "I'll say you're on a food run." I told him. "Bring us something good."

"Dude, you sure?" He asked, reluctant about taking the money.

"You're putting five grand to it too." I pointed out. "Difference is you keep the change since it's your run."

He laughed and pocketed it. "Thanks man. I owe you one."

"You owe me pie." I corrected. "Don't forget it."

* * *

Mandagora was the Karaoke bar in Paulownia Mall. It was on the upper level, above the alley where the Velvet Room is.

Normally, it's next to impossible to get in on the weekend, it's that busy, but Yuko had reserved us a room. We had fun, and I laughed like hell during Saito's horrific slaughter of 'Don't stop me now'. I had no idea that was popular over here.

Eventually it was my turn to sing. I looked for one that I knew somewhat, and found that the opening for that new Fullmetal Alchemist was on the list.

Man, I love that anime. I picked it and stood up.

"Dude, Yui's a girl." Hideo laughed. "Again is a girl's song."

"Just watch…"

Let's see… adjust my voice to adapt…One octave below the original singers… okay. Let's go.

"_Yume no tsuzuki, Oikakete ita hazu na no ni…  
Magarikunetta hosoi michi Hito ni tsumazuku…"_  
Bring it down…  
_"Ano koro mitai ni tte Modoritai wake ja nai no Nakushite kita sora o…  
Sagashiteru!  
__Wakatte kuremasu you ni Gisei ni natta you na Kanashii kao wa  
Yamete yo!"_  
Now for the fast bit…  
_"Tsumi no saigo wa namida ja nai yo, Zutto kurushiku seottekun da  
Deguchi mienai kanjou meiro ni __**Dare o matteru no**__!  
Shiroi nooto ni tsuzutta you ni Motto sunao ni hakidashitai yo  
Nani kara Nogaretain da __**Genjitsu tte yatsu!"  
**_And now, Chorus!  
_"Kanaeru tame ni Ikiterun da tte  
Wasurechaisou na, Yoru no mannaka…  
Munan ni nante Yatterarenai kara-aaah!  
__**Kaeru basho mo nai no**__  
Kono omoi o keshite shimau ni wa  
Mada jinsei nagai desho…"  
_(I'm not that way!)_  
"Natsukashiku naru… Konna itami mo kangeijan!"_

Damn, I love that song. Lyrics fit FMA so well too.

"Not bad." Thanks Pharos. I turned around and everyone was in shock.

Ha ha, didn't expect _that_, didja?

"Wow Minato-kun…" Yuko was impressed. "Nice set of pipes."

"Dammit man…" Manaka was annoyed. "Why bother joining the kendo team if you can just go become a male idol instead?"

"Because I have enough fangirls as it is." Nice, well timed joke. I didn't, and did not want any.

A girlfriend or two would be different though.

Did I just insinuate that I wouldn't mind being a two timing scumbag?

Why am I not surprised? Scary…

"I'M BACK WITH SUSHI!"

Thank you Kazushi from derailing that dangerous, _dangerous_ train of thought right there.

* * *

Eventually Hideo suggested we sneak into Escapade. Obviously we had to change halfway out of our school uniforms, and I suggested that we go in separately to avoid suspicion.

Since I wore an actual tie and looked the most mature with my hair parted, I went in first.

"Sorry, we can't allow any more inside." the bouncer said.

That's unusual.

I asked him about it, and after some headology, turned out that the band blobbed on them, and all the people inside were in uproar. I peeked through the door. There was a drumkit set up, guitar, bass, mic and some amps set up.

No band, so all it needed was some arrogant tosser who thought that someone gave a damn about his singing.

"What are you gonna do?" Pharos asked me.

Fairly obvious. I dodged past the bouncer and ran towards the stage. When the crowd got in the way, I jumped sideways and tic-tacked the wall onto the stage.

Do anything with enough confidence and no one will question your authority to do so. I grabbed the guitar and began to play.

Borrowing a brilliant crowd calming move I learnt from the great Eric Roche, I started playing Smells Like Teen Spirit. However, I'd taken time to learn it his style. The style that involved playing lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass guitar, drums and vocals simultaneously on one acoustic guitar.

It takes an insane amount of skill, but he played it off the top of his head for the first time at a gig with bottles being thrown at him.

I learnt the song beforehand, but it had the same effect, which is best described as 'holy crap'.

* * *

I played a few songs afterwards, then got off the stage and went to the bar, ordering a sprite.

Hey, I'm underage, and they're strict about that over here. Rules are rules, and it's not like anyone said I_ couldn't_ jump on stage.

Barman asked what he could do to thank me, and I settled for him letting my teammates in for the night.

I, on the other hand, got my name on the clubs V.I.P. list.

"Hmm… I feel a strange aura around you…"

I turned to the woman to my right. She had dark brown hair and was dressed for working in an office. Fortune. "In my mind," She said, "I see visions... People's past, present, and future... For most people, I see clearly, and far ahead... But you are different..."

She looked at me intently. "Your future is filled with both blinding light and stagnant shadow..." she said mysteriously. "I can see but a small portion... What lies beyond that is shrouded in mystery…" She turned back to her drink. "What a peculiar fate you carry..."

"Erm…"

"Would you like me to share my limited visions with you, Bearer of Light and Shadow?" I nodded. "Very well…"

She closed her eyes, as if concentrating. "…You have pulled fate's trigger… The bullet passes through many, breaking glass barriers and opening hearts…" She concentrated further. "I feel that a change is about to occur in your life…A strong wind blows across the world, sending a blue flower's petals into the air..." She opened her eyes. "How will you interpret this wind...? As a weak and frail breeze? Or a brave and mighty gust...?" She turned back to her drink. "Farewell, then... May your future be bright..."

"She's the real deal." Pharos told me. "But she's right. I can't seem to predict the future much when it comes to you either…"

"Nice, Minato-kun!" Yuko slapped me across the back. "Never expected you to get us in!"

"Hey, I have skills." Which reminded me. "Oh, I looked into their diet for you."

Yuko was all ears. "Really? What's it like?"

Some time before the exams, Yuko asked me to check out Yukari and Mitsuru's diet for her. She said that they were her best chance of finding a diet that would help you stay active and thin at the same time, since they were also in sports teams. I told her how much they eat about a day, and she was gobsmacked.

"Seriously?" she asked. "That much?" I just thought they could actually do with more. "Are they bulimic or something?"

"Nah, but they do put themselves through training from hell." Hey, Tartarus is Greek for Hell. Most people think its Hades, but that's just the person in charge of it. Common misconception.

"Wow… that actually makes me look good." she whistled. "Thanks!"

**SMASH**

_Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Strength Arcana..._

It's that easy.

* * *

I pulled Kazushi over to a table at one point during the night. Believe it or not, because of all the people we could have our conversation in private.

I got him to tell me how the results of the exam went. From the look on his face, not well.

"I… I really don't want the others to know about this…"

"You look like you don't even want me to know about it." I pointed out.

"You deserve to know… and I'm gonna need your help…" Oh. If Kazushi was asking for help about this then it was serious. "I…" he sighed.

I gave him space to tell me in his own time.

"My hamstring's being ripped apart." Kazushi told me, coming clean. "He… he told me that I put too much strain on it during practice… if it keeps up I… I won't ever be able to walk again…"

He looked like hell, and I understood why. An athlete who couldn't use his hamstring was like… like me without my insanity.

Still alive, but I couldn't do what made me live.

If he destroyed it, then his life was over, but if he rested, had surgery and went through rehab, then he could still make it next year.

I need to be careful about this. Especially since he thinks he's doing this for his nephew.

Hell, how can I ask him to back out of a promise because he might suffer what his nephew already is suffering? How could I…

…That could work…

"You're gonna need to be careful then." I said, sipping my drink.

He looked up to me. "You need to find a way to let the hamstring rest." I said. "The sensible thing would be to back out of the promise and get it treated."

"Wha- What do you take me for!" Kazushi shouted, outraged.

"Someone who won't do the sensible thing." I answered with a sly grin. Kazushi caught it and sat back down, matching it. "The 'right' thing to do," I continued, "is destroy yourself and hope that it inspires your nephew to take the rehab. Which it probably won't."

Okay, good so far… but where to now...?

"Musashi managed to fight with an injured leg, if I remember correctly." Pharos pointed out. "Sent many men to their deaths."

Pharos liked to tell me what 'really' happened during the history exam, but this was actually good advice. I'd read some of that manga.

"Remember Miyamoto Musashi?" I asked Kazushi.

"Well, duh, who doesn't?" he scoffed.

Most of the people outside of Japan for one. "Well, he fought for ages with a sliced hamstring while it healed, so all you need to do is figure out how he did it." I told him. Come on brain… Think… THINK!

Click. "He called that technique the circle of death right?" I asked, making a circle around the table with a finger. "He drew a circle in the ground and told his enemies that he wouldn't move, but if they entered the circle then they would die right?"

"What about it? Wait…" The penny dropped in Kazushi's head.

I smiled. "You look it up in the library; I'll try to reverse-engineer it." I was as much of a genius in combat as I was musically. "We can do this."

Kazushi smiled. "Thanks man… I owe you one…"

**SMASH**

_Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Chariot Arcana..._

"Hey kid!"

Kazushi and I turned around to see a drunken monk with a cigar in his mouth walking towards us. It was pretty surreal.

He took a seat next to us. "That was some pretty fancy guitar playing there… but you're awfully young to be here." The old man said. He then turned to Kazushi and added "So are you. I'm surprised they didn't throw you out."

"Well, they said we could come in this once to thank Minato-kun for what he did." Kazushi reasoned.

"That explains a lot…" the monk grunted. "They letting you drink?"

"Only soft drinks." I said. "Like you said, we're too young to actually be here."

"I thought so… so you're some no good kids who wanted a peek at adult life, eh?" he laughed.

"We wouldn't drink anyways." Kazushi said. "And we're not 'No Good Kids'. We're athletes."

"Oh really? What sport?"

"Kendo." I told him.

"What, you?" He laughed at me. "Kid, if you're any kind of athlete, you're a swimmer, or a runner. Kendo ain't for skinny kids like you."

Now, I admit, I was smaller than the other guys on the team, but skinny I was not. "Excuse me?" my muscles weren't big, but they were rock solid.

By hell, they were they rock solid. I've broken hands with my abs.

"Dude, I'm the next captain, and he's better than me!" Kazushi told the old monk.

"Huh." The monk grunted, taking a swig of his booze. "You think it'll last?"

Kazushi was stunned. No surprise, considering the damage to his leg. "You seem optimistic about the future kid." the monk said, slamming his drink against the table. "Don't be. Because when you don't get what you hoped for outta life, it's gonna crush ya. Then you're gonna hafta drink and smoke just ta get through the day."

The monk stood up. "You're nothing like those punks I normally see around here; Always getting inta trouble with the police and at school. Can't say the same for my son though…" he looked at us. "I'm gonna remember your faces kids. Next time I see you in here, I'll get the bouncer to throw ya out." He turned away. "When you've had yer fill, go home. And don't come back." He walked off into the crowd.

**SMASH**

Aww, what!

_Thou art I… and I am thou…_

You've gotta be kidding me…

_Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Tower Arcana..._

This just isn't fair… wait, Tower?

"Symbolising destruction, and your ideals falling in on you, Tower." Pharos added, smiling.

That explained a lot.

"What's up with him?" Kazushi asked, huffing.

"He probably doesn't want us getting into trouble."

"Sound more like he thought we were trouble to me." Kazushi grumbled.

"Remember what he said about his son?" I asked to Kazushi, leaning towards him. "I think he's trying to be some kind of parental figure to us because something happened between him and his son."

Kazushi looked at me like I was crazy. "Seriously? You think so?"

I nodded. "It's amazing what you find out when you listen and pay attention." I told him. "Not many people actually do it."

Kazushi sighed. "I suppose…"

* * *

I got back to the dorm at around half eleven, ready for bed.

"Where've you been?"

"With some friends," I told Akihiko. "Why?"

Then I looked at him. He was there with his arms folded, metal gauntlets covering his fists, wearing a bulletproof vest. Yukari and Junpei were kitted out for battle. "I've been out of action for over a month, and you didn't think that we were going to Tartarus first chance I got?" Akihiko asked. "I've gotta get back into shape! Besides…" He continued. "We've found another Persona user."

Wait, what?

"We did!" Junpei asked eagerly. "Sweet! Is it a girl?"

"Actually, yeah, she is." Akihiko nodded. "Her name's Fuuka Yamagishi, she's in your year, on the other side. You know her?"

"Yamagishi…" Yukari began "Oh, that girl in 2-E? I heard she gets sick a lot, so I don't see her very often."

Akihiko nodded. "It's possible. I did meet her at the hospital after all. But…" Akihiko sighed. "Maybe she's not cut out for battle… I had an Evoker made for her too…"

"We're giving up on her already?" I asked.

"Shame…" Junpei said. "I was gonna offer her some private lessons…"

Yukari glared at Junpei. "What do you expect?" He said, trying to defend himself. "I'm a guy."

"Actually… Mitsuru would probably be a better option for private lessons…" I added, thinking to myself.

"Junpei's gotten a nosebleed." Thanks Pharos, I really needed to know that.

"Anyway, come on! We need to go!" Akihiko told me. "Mitsuru's already there. We've got about twenty minutes until the dark hour!"

I slammed my schoolbag against the ground and pulled out my Evoker, ramming it into the back of my trousers. I got my gloves out of my pockets and tugged them onto my hands. "Then let's go." I said. I'd grab a Red Bull along the way.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Yukari asked me.

"I'll grab something when I'm there." I shrugged. "I'm feeling lucky."


	22. Rebuild 022

As we got into Tartarus, Akihiko asked me to lead the team. I agreed, but still asked why. He said that he wanted to focus on his training, and I was doing an amazing job already.

Well, yeah, I am. But I still needed to figure out how to adapt Akihiko into my battle strategies.

"What battle strategies?" Pharos asked. "You tell everyone else to attack whatever you're not."

Shut up Pharos.

* * *

We teleported to the twenty-fifth floor and ran to the twenty-sixth.

**"There is a large source of power on the thirty-sixth floor.**" Mitsuru told us.** "Four floors above that is the barrier. Aim for there."**

"Thanks." I turned to my team. "Alright, usual routine. Akihiko, follow Junpei's lead until I think of how to use you."

"Got it."

"Alright." I nodded. "Secondary objective is to find me weapons and armour. Let's go!"

* * *

There were a large amount of Shadows on the next few floors, but nothing like last time. However, it was harder than before.

Unfortunately, we didn't find any weapons other than a pouch of Kunai. I took it unwillingly, reasoning that as long as I only threw them, it was cool, since I didn't have much other choice.

Then we found a purple cluster of Shadows. What the hell?

"Those Shadows are stronger than the regular kind." Pharos told me. "Want my help?"

"I think this'll be stronger than usual." I said, "But we'll be fine." I'm good at speaking in code. "Ready?"

The other three nodded, and I pulled a Kunai out of the pouch and charged, throwing it deep into the cluster.

It exploded to revealed some wrestler type Shadows. Everyone else surrounded the Shadows as the Shadows surrounded me, so I put the Evoker to my head and picked an enemy.

"Pale Rid-GUH!" a fist the size of my shoulders smashed into my ribcage, sending me flying.

"Minato!" Yukari shouted.

**"Are… Are you alright?"**

"Yeah… Peachy…" I wiped the blood from my mouth as I reached for one of those healing stones. "Scan them, everyone else attack!"

Junpei and Akihiko charged forward, Yukari firing her arrows as she turned around the room towards me. Nothing was working. "Damnit…" I grunted, struggling to my feet.

"Here." I felt a hand grab my arm. Pharos. "Sure you don't want my help?"

"If we don't do it on our own power…" I mumbled, forcing myself up, "Then it's meaningless."

"Oh, I won't be interfering in that." Pharos smiled. "I'll only be helping you as much as Miss Kirijo is."

**"They're Steel Gigas!" **Mitsuru shouted. **"Use Zio on them!"**

I heard a crash as someone was knocked across the dark hall.

"GARGH!"

**"AKIHIKO!"**

"SENPAI!"

Damn… Akihiko was down. "Fine…" I looked at Yukari. "I'm fine, take care of Akihiko!"

Yukari did so, and Pharos walked into me. It felt weird. I could see energy flow around a Gigas that was charging for Yukari, and I knew it was a Sukukaja, which would increase its speed

_That's the Eyes of the Reaper. _

Do I have to pay half of my lifespan?

I felt Pharos chuckle as I charged after Yukari. **SMASH.** "ZIONGA!"

Take Mikazuchi summoned a thunderbolt, striking an empty space that the Gigas ran right into. I pulled a curse tag out of my pocket and stuck it onto a Kunai as it fell, then I jumped over the fallen Shadow and threw the knife into its back.

Black fire consumed it and the Shadow disappeared.

_Block to your left, now!_

I did as I was told but instead of feeling the impact, I diverted the charging Gigas into the wall. My reaction timing was perfect…

_That's me accounting for your reactions and making up the difference._

Cheers.

"Thanks Takeba." Akihiko grunted, pulling himself up. From the corner of my eye, I saw he was still wincing, but his pain tolerance seemed to be closer to mine than Junpei's or Yukari's, so he was able to grit his teeth and bear it.

I would have told him to hold back until he was fully healed, but we didn't have that luxury. Besides, his injury could have been worse.

Much worse.

Yukari seemed to have come to the same conclusion, and moved towards me instead of trying to keep healing him.

"Akihiko!" I yelled. "Help Junpei!"

"Got it!" Akihiko rushed over to fill the gap between the huge wrestler and the smaller swordsman. The Gigas that faceplanted the wall now pulled itself out of the wall, turning to face me.

_Want to know another trick?_

Sure.

* * *

Pharos told me his trick.

Holy crap was he serious?

_Yes, yes I am._

Let's do this shit.

* * *

I felt his presence leave my mind; since what I was trying to do was risky as it was without anything else in the way.

"It's coming!" Yukari loaded her bow.

I felt the power rush to my arm. "Alright!" I charged towards the Gigas with my right arm ready to deliver a haymaker.

"Minato!"

**"What are you doing? Are you out of your mind?"**

"RRARGH!" I roared as my fist collided with the Shadow's gigantic hammer of an arm. Then magic happened.

**BBZZTT-DAKOOM **

A shockwave blasted and the Gigas was knocked down. I looked at the blue sparks flashing around my hand.

Dayumn.

"What? Minato!"  
**"What..? How… How is that possible?"  
**"What was that!"  
"WHAT THE HELL!"  
"I told you…"

Pharos's quiet words echoed much louder to me than my teammates cries did. Seeing my enemy struggling to get up, I pulled out my Leatherman and, flicking out the knife, jammed it into his chest.

Not a weapon. I dragged the blade down, making an incision.

Never a weapon. I jammed my two arms inside of it, failing to grab any organs.

Only as a tool. I grabbed my right wrist with my left hand.

"THUNDERBOLT!"

A blast of blue lightning erupted from my arm, killing the wounded Shadow.

I got up, damned glad that I didn't bring my jacket. I was up to my elbows in Ichor, and my shirt was splattered in the black blood. My tie was ruined too, but it was worth it.

"Behind you."

I turned around to see the Gigas release an energy blast, knocking Junpei and Akihiko back. It charged at me, so I pulled out the Evoker and blasted my brains out, bringing the Gigas down with a Zionga.

Akihiko got up, charging. "I've been waiting for this!"

Junpei got up and followed him, followed by me and Yukari as we beat the Shadow down into oblivion.

* * *

Once it melted, Akihiko grabbed me. "Okay, what the hell was that?"

"An experiment." I replied. Technically true. "I just forced the energy of the Zio down my arm instead of summoning my Persona. It was weaker than it would have been if I summoned, but since the Gigas is weak to electricity, it knocked him back."

"Oh, sure, great!" Junpei complained flippantly. "So not only is our fearless leader able to use _way_ more Persona than us, but now he can use MAGIC!" He shouted. "How's that fair? OW!" He jumped as Akihiko poked him. "The hell?"

Akihiko opened his hand, revealing a small thunderstorm. "Seems to work, but I doubt I can use it in battle yet." He closed it back into a fist, the sparks disappearing. "You probably have such good control from being aware of the dark hour for so long."

Yeah, sure, let's go with that.

**"I… I can't believe that we never realised Persona could be used this way…"**

"Actually, I got the idea a while ago when Yukari healed me without her summoning Io." I lied. "I just tried it out now."

"COME ON!" Junpei shouted. "FIRE!"

Junpei was squeezing his wrist tight, clearly trying for a fireball. His face looked like those guys who pull buses on 'Worlds strongest man', it was hilarious. We all burst out laughing at him, except Junpei, who looked murderous.

"Come on man…" I sighed, slapping his hand.

It hurt. "ow…"

I slipped off my glove. The skin underneath was all red, as if I'd just scalded it. "Okay, you're getting there…" I told Junpei, who looked satisfied. Yukari touched my hand and the skin healed. Yep, Yukari's the best at it out of us all.

* * *

Six floors later, and I was almost disappointed with the lack of Reaper.

"Are you scared of me now..?" I whispered to myself.

_**Not in the slightest**_

I almost jumped out of my skin, gripping hatchet in my hand. "Everything alright?" Akihiko asked.

"Yeah… fine."

* * *

We'd finally found a few proper weapons along the way. I had a couple of sai held in my belt, a scimitar across my back, and a trust ol' axe in my hand.

Pharos had been a big help too. Thanks to the Reapers Eyes, I could tell what skills Shadows were currently using, and could almost predict their moves.

Picking out those cards were easier as well, but one part that was really helpful was the radar thingy I now had. While I couldn't tell the layout of rooms and corridors I hadn't seen yet, I could tell where nearby Shadows, Items or Teammates were, and I knew where I had been, so travel was easier.

On top of that, I knew how much Spiritual Pressure my teammates had just by looking at them, which was a plus. I still relied on Mitsuru for the Shadows resistances and weaknesses, however, and Pharos only warned me in life threatening situation and even then, his timing wasn't always perfect, but it was still a big help.

At this point, I was still the only one who could use Persona powers in battle without summoning, but not when Pharos is lending me the Eyes, so I still couldn't use it much.

Anyway, we found the stairs pretty quickly and made it to the thirty-sixth floor.

* * *

**"There isn't much of the Dark hour Left; you'll have to wait for next time to battle the enemy."**

"Alright then." I activated the teleporter. "Let's go."

_**Running away are we?**_

Once everyone else had gone I gave my answer.

"Mom's calling us in for teatime, we'll have to play with you later." I taunted.

_**How cute**_

"It was a rather good comeback however."

Thanks Pharos. I think so too.

* * *

I didn't do much on Sunday, other than work on the financial report for Tanaka and play some Innocent Sin. Maya complained about her life, but it was fine since I levelled up the Hermit social link.

Pharos was chuckling through the whole thing. "Yeah, yeah, social link through an online game," I sighed. "Laugh all you like, a lot of people become friends through these things nowadays."

"That's not what's so funny," he replied, smiling. "I just find it amusing how you seem to know each other in reality as well."

Oh really? That's pretty interesting.

* * *

What was less interesting, more What The Hell, came Monday.

You remember Monday? Results day?

Well I went to the scoreboard during lunch to see how well I did. Junpei did alright, just, and Yukari did pretty well. I couldn't find my name though.

"Oh, wow! Is Minato that smart?"

"I don't believe it! That's so high!"

I looked around to see who had found my name.

"You're name's here." Pharos pointed to a separate sheet. The high scores. I looked at it, and was shocked at what I saw.

_1st place: Minato Arisoto. 95% Average._

THE HELL?

* * *

"Of course you came first in the year." Ms. Toriumi told me. "Your test scores were magnificent!"

"But I wasn't that good before!" I protested. "I'm not that good!"

I made them show me the papers. Ah. I got 100% on Business, General, Maths, Lit, Physics, and English. I did alright in Japanese, and really well in History and Chemistry and Biology.

So the exams I didn't cheat on were the ones I did best on.

"Well, you would have gotten lower scores on them anyway." Pharos shrugged.

Looking through the exams, he was right. If it wasn't for him, I'd be second or third place, since it was only those exams that brought me down to 95%. Although, the English exam was probably a given, since my teacher assumes that just because I'm from England I would ace an English exam so she just skipped it.

"Some of the other teachers were really impressed with your scores," Ms. Toriumi told me. "They said that some of your answers were at the professional level. Mr Ekoda was especially impressed, since apparently you slept through most of his lessons."

"All I did was read the book!" I shouted.

Actually, that was probably why I did so well. Since I ignored everything he told me and just wrote what I thought, then it seemed like I was putting in a really complex argument.

Looking through Chemistry and Biology, some of the mistakes were from Pharos telling me what would happen in _practice_, instead of what would happen in _theory_. History, I got the dates wrong, and some stuff Pharos told me.

Japanese was probably the only exam I did completely fairly. Course, I couldn't tell them the truth, since that would earn me a one-way ticket into a psyche ward, and telling them I cheated would get me kicked out of school. Both of them were unacceptable, so what choice did I have. "Alright then…"

"You know, most students would kill to have scores like that, and you sound almost like you don't want them." Ms. Toriumi pointed out.

I could see Ms. Toriumi's argument, and who wouldn't? "I just didn't think that I deserved them, and thought that there had been some kind of mistake." I confessed, scratching my head. "But yeah, this is my work, and it fits the mark scheme."

"Well, it's not a school record or anything, but it's still something to be proud of." she told me. "It's much better than wasting your life on games or something…" Ms. Toriumi sighed, rubbing her head. Sign of stress.

"You alright miss?" I asked her. "You seem concerned about something."

Ms. Toriumi was surprised, but seemed thankful. "It's alright Minato-kun. Thank you for your concern though."

I got up, hesitantly. "You sure?"

My teacher nodded. "Yes, I'm fine. You'd best be off before lunch is over."

I nodded and left the room.

**SMASH**

Huh?

_Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to make a Persona of the Hermit Arcana._

"I did say you knew her." Pharos said when I turned the corner, that knowing grin plastered on his face.

Holy crap.

* * *

Actually, I'm more surprised that I'm not surprised. Come to think about it, the clues were there, I just didn't pick up on them. I'm gonna have to brush up on my detective skills.

We looked over the general studies exam that afternoon, and I found out why Ms. Toriumi was so stressed.

One question was about bullying, and she said that we got marked no matter what we put down, so long as it was about bullying. We could even have written about bullying in the school. "Not that there is any bullying here however…" she said.

Remember that I can see hidden emotions flash on someone's face when they lie if I'm concentrating?

Well, I was concentrating, and she was lying. The guilt, anger, and sadness were clear to me.

Someone was being bullied, and she was angry about it. Her eyes didn't flash to anyone in the room, so the sadness was probably because the student in question was out of her jurisdiction, but the student's teacher wasn't doing anything about it, and she was disgusted.

I shifted sitting position, now squatting on my seat.

Which teachers did Maya complain about when she was online?

One teacher stuffed her chest… Mr E had an argument with her about something… something he was doing was wrong but he ignored her… he was my best bet… Mr E…

Mr. Ekoda. Tower. He taught class 2-F, the other second year class.

So the person bullied was in his class.

I need to stop sleeping in his lessons.


	23. Rebuild 023

I watched Ekoda all week, and yep, He's hiding something. You can practically smell the fear coming out of him.

That's not all I noticed though, there's been talk of bullying all over the place. Rumours and rumours of rumours, but things are starting to fall into place.

And now it's the first of June, and we're wearing summer uniforms now. Which means shortsleeves, no jackets and no more ties. I kept my tie loose around my neck though, just because I like it.

Anyway back at the dorm, me and Akihiko were practising our energy control. We were basically arm wrestling, only instead of pushing with our arms, we pushed with electricity. Junpei could set his hand on fire and Mitsuru could freeze stuff. Yukari was starting to use wind manipulation, but I'm having difficulty seeing how that could help. Unless it's like Naruto and it'll let her make balls of sharpness, but I doubt it.

And yes, I got the scrolls of armaments. They were a bit of a letdown actually. I mean, yeah, they are awesome, but it's hard to open up the correct scroll, find the right section, and activate the seal in the heat of battle, so it's no bat belt.

"Man… I'm bored…" Junpei groaned, closing a fireball in his fist.

"You're always bored Junpei." I reminded him.

"Yeah, but not when there's this much going on…" he turned around in his seat to lean on the back of it, facing me and Akihiko. "You know those rumours about the girl that was found outside of the school gate?" the one who was found unconscious? "Well, there's this one rumour that says that it was an angry ghost who did it…"

Ooh, ghost? I glanced at Pharos, who shrugged.

"H-hey, come on!" Yukari shouted, as Akihiko slammed my hand against the table, but I didn't care at the moment. "No one believes that stuff…" she looked over to me an Akihiko. "R-right?"

Yeah, she was getting scared, clear as day.

"So. What's the ghost story about?" Mitsuru asked Junpei, walking into the room. Man, she has great timing.

"Wha-!" Yukari exclaimed. "It-it's probably made up… so why bother!"

Ooh, she's getting aggressive defensive now…

"This could be fun." My thoughts exactly Pharos.

"I'm interested." Akihiko stated, turning to face Junpei. "Go ahead and tell us."

Yukari looked around for support, but I shrugged. "Go on then Junpei." I said.

I wasn't that interested in the story itself, I just like to see people suffer. Not sadistically, just in situations like this when people are thrown out of their comfort zone.

And from the expression on her face, Yukari was obviously so far out her comfort zone, she was at sea and sharks were beginning to circle her.

I am evil.

"Huh." Pharos said. "Thought you had the hots for her."

Quiet you.

Junpei leaned forward and pulled out a torch from somewhere. He turned it on and pointed the light under his face just as Mitsuru dimmed the lights. It felt like camping all over again.

"Good evening." Junpei sneered, almost as if he was trying to imitate Igor. "Welcome to 'Junpei's Believe it, or Don't.'…"

They get that show over here too?

"There are many strange things in this world…" he said mysteriously. "According to one story…if you get caught at school at night, you'll be devoured by a maniacal ghost that roams the halls!" That's true, except the Reaper probably wouldn't eat you.

"He's more likely to shoot you." Pharos told me. Thanks for reminding me, Pharos.

"The other day," Junpei continued, "A Friend of mine… Let's call him… Shu."

"It's Kenji isn't it?" I asked him.

"Perhaps… Perhaps not…" Junpei said smoothly, giving me only a tiny glare. Yep, it's Kenji. "But Shu, he came up to me and said 'Junpei. I saw something strange...'  
"He sounded serious," he continued, "So I asked him what he'd seen. It was about the girl in 2-E. He, _Claims_ that he saw her go into school on the night of the incident…"

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Yukari squirming uncomfortably.

"I couldn't believe it… She's not the type of girl to be out at night." He shook his head. "But Shu was white as a sheet, he insisted that it was true!"

"Then… It hit me…" Junpei whispered, and I felt myself leaning forward.

Junpei paused for suspense. "That ghost must've tried to make her its dinner!" he shouted. "And that's why they found her lying on the ground by the gate!" Akihiko and Mitsuru looked thoughtful, but Yukari just about jumped out of her skin. "I felt a chill run down my spine, and I broke into a cold sweat... Yes, there are strange things in this world... Believe it... or don't..."

He turned the torch off and someone hit the light switch. Mitsuru hid a smirk as she glanced at Akihiko. "What do you think?"

Akihiko grinned. "I think it's worth investigating."

Junpei leaned back against the wall with a smirk. "Wow Yuka-Tan, I had no idea you were afraid of ghosts." he chuckled. "I gotta say, that's kinda funny!"

Yukari glared at him and smacked the table with both hands. "Hey, Watch It!" She shouted.

She frowned as she got off the table and folded her arms. "Fine… then let's investigate…" She looked around at us. "We'll each ask around for the rest of the week." What? I'd been doing that all of _last_ week… "I'll prove to you that this story is just an urban legend!"

"I appreciate that." Mitsuru told her, ignoring Junpei's groan. "The story is a bit unnerving."

"Then I'll let you guys handle it." Akihiko stole my evil smile. "Just make sure you sleep with one eye open…"

* * *

"So, what do you think?"

That was the first thing Pharos asked me once we got into my room.

"Honestly?" I replied, "Story was close to my theory, but with a few key mistakes."

"Want to borrow a flashlight?"

"Nah, I'm fine." I sorted pieces of information in my head; what I'd heard from rumours, Junpei's stories, what I've learned through my bullying investigations, what Pharos had told me and what I already knew, then sprinkled a large portion of imagination.

"I reckon that girl was up to something she shouldn't be, or got caught up in something she shouldn't have… possibly both…"

I thought for a moment. "2-E is Ekoda's class right?"

Pharos nodded.

"He's the teacher who was hiding something about bullying, so either that girl was being bullied or she was a bully…"

Something else came to mind. "She collapsed and has nothing wrong with her except unconsciousness right? Does that make her one of the Lost?"

Pharos smiled, as if he already knew the answer I was getting to. "But if she has Apathy Syndrome, then that means that the Shadows are involved…" The penny dropped. "When's the next full moon?"

"One week from today." Pharos smirked.

"It's the Empress next right?"

"Most likely."

I reached for the Tarot guide and flicked to the correct page. Glancing at the text, I noted that 'Empress symbolises Motherhood, Comfort, Pleasure, Health, Sensuality…' so on… so if reversed, that makes a bad mothering, distress, pain, sickness… I tried to think of the opposite of Sensuality, but I stopped.

"Distress, Pain, Sickness…" they were the results of bullying… Bad mothering…

"Abuse…" I whispered.

Pharos smiled as I reached the conclusion. "So, what's your theory?"

I put the book down and shifted into a crouch. "Someone in class 2-E was, or is, being bullied." I explained. "I don't think it's the girl who collapsed, but it's likely she was involved. Most likely as a bully… but if the girl was the bully then the victim is most likely a weaker female…"

"Got anyone in mind?"

"No, but bullying is different for girls." I said, shaking my head. "All we guys have to deal with usually is a few bruises and some torment, and even when it gets evil, it's still mostly physical, since we're basically run on testosterone…"

Come to think of it, isn't abuse of power the reverse of Emperor? "So since Emperor represents fatherhood, Reverse makes physical abuse… but since girls get attacked emotionally and mentally, it does more damage in the long term… making reverse Empress…" Getting there…"Most victims of female bullying tend to be quieter… more withdrawn… so bullying often goes unnoticed, and eventually the victim becomes the same to the students who aren't tormenting her…" Which means that… "So the girl would be someone you wouldn't necessarily know personally…" wait, that sound familiar…

"_Yamagishi…" Yukari began "Oh, that girl in 2-E? I heard she gets sick a lot, so I don't see her very often."_

CLICK

"Fuuka Yamagishi…" I said. "She's got the potential, but we gave up on her since she wasn't cut out for battle…"

"So, she's a weaker female?" Pharos asked, paraphrasing what I'd said.

"Most likely… and sick a lot?" I asked. "More likely she's faking it so she doesn't have to come into school…"

"You think she's the victim?" Pharos asked.

"Most likely…" I nodded. "I'll go see her tomorrow."

* * *

Turns out, that was impossible. Ekoda said that she was sick, and he refused to tell me her home address. No one else in his class seemed to know where she lived either. I saw guilt and fear on a couple of girls faces, but when I asked them about it, they clammed shut and left.

"Um… M-Minato-san?"

I looked behind me. "Oh, Hey Chihiro-san." She looked somewhat concerned. "Is… everything alright?"

"Um… Yeah… C-can we go to the rooftop?" she asked. "I-I need to speak with you…"

She seemed pretty bothered about something.

Eh, I'm a week ahead in the investigations as is, I can easily spare some time for social linkage.

* * *

I agreed and went up with her. Whatever it was, it was most likely private and urgent, so I didn't ask about it until we were alone. When I did, I was surprised.

"Um… R-remember when you saved me from that creep, Minato-san?" I nodded. "W-well, from that day on… my health hasn't been so great…" Huh? Bit odd, but I chose to remain silent until she'd finished. "The doctor said I'm fine, but…"

Chihiro shighed. "I guess I'll tell you Minato-san… S-since you've been so nice to me… But don't think I'm weird, okay?"

I nodded. Yeah, I had seen her a couple of times over the last week, but I wasn't expecting what came next. "L-Last night, I… Um… You see, I had this…"

She stopped hesitating and blurted it out. "I have dreams about you every single night, Minato-san!"

WHAM.

"I… I dream about you every night…" She repeated, almost to confirm it to herself… "This has never happened to me before…"

This was getting serious. "I appreciate how nice you've been to me, Minato-san, but…" She looked down at the ground. "One of these days, I… I might want to be… more… than just your friend…"

**SMASH**

_Thou shalt have our blessing when though choosest to create a Persona of the Justice Arcana…_

She seemed to catch herself. "Oh! Sorry! I've been babbling like an idiot… I…" She turned away. "I just get so nervous when I'm around you… especially…" She glanced back at me, then her head snapped forward. "Especially when you look at me that way…" What, tired? She seemed almost ashamed. "…Sorry."

"Don't apologise." I told her.

"Well, I'm sorry for wasting your time… Oh!" She seemed shocked. "Sorry, I- I didn't mean to say…" She seemed to getting confused... and upset...

Chihiro held her head low and moved past me. "Sorry…"

I couldn't just let her run off, seeing as how she looked like she was about to burst into tears, so I grabbed her hand just as she brushed past. "Wait…"

She snapped around, almost surprised at what I did.

What did I just do?

Was I accepting her as a girlfriend?

In her head? Probably.

"Oh… Minato-san…" She blushed and squeezed my hand. "It's so rough… and strong… and warm…" It felt like she'd never let go.

* * *

She didn't, as a matter of fact, until we were half way to the dorm and she had to turn off to her house. Again, she refused to let me walk all the way home with her, but ah well.

Next day afterschool I was with Yuko in Paulownia mall, since she needed to stock up on supplies for the team and I need to stock up on supplies for a completely unrelated team.

"Hey, wait up!" she said behind me. "I'm not as tall as you, so I can't walk as fast!"

Pausing, I realised she was carrying more bags than I was, so I reached out my hand for hers so she could give some to me.

Yuko paused for a second, before actually _taking _my hand. Not that I'm complaining, but it's a bit of a bad move for someone who apparently already has a girlfriend, isn't it? I doubt this is a Japan thing...

"Wait... um..." I turned around. Yuko seemed surprised.

"Well, not that I mind, It's just…" Yuko blushed slightly. "I didn't think we were going out just yet…"

Wait what?

"She thinks you just confessed to her." Pharos told me. "Two girls at once eh? Not bad…"

SHIT.

I was about to clear it up with her when suddenly she was talking to some kids.

"They live across the street from me." She explained to me, breaking out of her conversation with them temporarily. Turning back to them, she added "This is no place to be playing tag, you should be playing in the playground."

"We can't play there…" One kid told her. "Some bigger kids from our school are playing soccer there!" FOOTBALL! IT'S FOOTBALL! DAMMIT AMERICA!

"What?" Yuko replied. "Well, why don't you share?"

"We tried to…" Another kid said, "But they said that they'd move if we could beat them in a race, but they're too fast!" Ah, so she's reprimanding them for playing tig here… gotcha.

Yuko sighed. "Alright, come with me, just this once."

Why do they call it tag anyways? Tig is a much better name. And Soccer, why do they call it that?

I blame America. But America would kick my backside in a fight, so the blame shifts to Junpei.

"Minato!"

"Uh, Yeah?" I asked.

"Can you get this stuff for me?" Yuko asked, proffering the bags. "I'll meet you up at the school."

"Yeah, okay!" That'll give me a chance to clear this up.

The boyfriend girlfriend thing, not the sport names thing.

* * *

When I got back to school, the kids were running around the running track. Well, I suppose that's what it's there for, but… Why?

"I just wanted them to have a place to play," Yuko explained. "But then I corrected one of the boys running styles, and, well, next thing I knew I'm coaching them so they can race against the sixth graders." Ah, okay. Yuko turned to me and asked "Am I doing the right thing, Minato-kun?"

"That's really up to you." I'm currently in no place to be giving anyone ethical advice, not until I cleared this up.

Yuko seemed excited. "Then, what am I waiting for?" She smiled. "Once they called me Coach, well, I couldn't resist…"

"Who could?" I shrugged.

"Yeah… Hey…" Yuko seemed concerned slightly. "Is there any chance you'd be willing to help me train them?"

I didn't get chance to reply as she continued "I only know a little bit about racing, and, well, you're pretty athletic…" Well, yeah, but not sports athletic. "Please, I'd be really grateful… I'll be lonely teaching them all by myself…"

Wow, she really trusts me. "Sure." I answered, without thinking.

Wait, was that the right decision?

**SMASH**

Too late…

_Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Strength Arcana…_

"Well, there's no turning back now." Pharos told me, placing a hand on my shoulder from behind. "Congratulations, you are now officially a two timing scumbag. You'll have those social links done in no time!"

Doesn't make me feel any better though…

* * *

"Hey Minato."

"Hey Yukari…" I replied, trudging through the front door of the dorm that evening.

"So, how's your investigation going?" she asked.

"Huh?" I frowned. My brain was a bit occupied with my new position as cheating scumbag at that moment...

"Don't tell me you forgot already?" she snapped.

"No, I haven't." For a few hours I had. "It's going okay. I'm getting results."

"Well, keep them to yourself until Friday, okay?"

"Sure, okay." I trudged up to my room. I needed Sleep. Sleep would make it all better.

* * *

"Good Evening."

I was in some kind of blue jazz bar. It didn't seem to be open, since the only other people in there were Elizabeth and Igor. "Welcome, to the Velvet Room."

"Isn't that a Lift?" I asked.

Igor grinned his grin. "The Velvet Room takes many forms. However, a recent change has led to this one."

Change? "Is this about the two girls I'm currently dating?"

"That is why I summoned you here, yes…" I noted the lack of a Pharos. "What you are doing is extremely risky."

"I know… If one finds out about the other, they'll never trust me again, will they?"

"It may not be that severe, but you are thinking along the right lines." Igor looked right at me. "When something adversely affects the bond between two people, it is not uncommon for the Social Link to Reverse."

"Reverse?" I asked, feeling an explanation coming along. "Like the Shadows?"

"Indeed." Igor looked serious for once. "A Reversed Social Link cannot progress forward, not until the problem is rectified."

"So, if they find out about each other and reverse, I can still save it?" I asked hopefully.

"Not quite." Igor took a drink from the glass in front of him. "If the damage is repaired, then the Reversed Social Link will be rectified. However, this would in turn damage the other Social Link, thus Breaking it."

I gulped. "Breaking it?"

"A Broken Social Link is next to irreparable. If you made any move to repair one of the Reversed Social Links in your scenario, then the other would inevitably be Broken." That's not good.

"Will the path you have chosen produce a sour melody of pain and jealousy?" Igor asked me, "Or a sweet nocturne of blissful ignorance?" Igor looked right into my eyes. "Nonetheless, whichever path you choose, you have our full support."

"That only makes me feel worse." I pointed out. He was basically saying I had no life support out here...

"Well, then perhaps we will be listening to the Blues tonight." Igor commented. "I hope you visit us again soon, but until then," Igor lifted his glass in a toast, "Farewell."

* * *

**-}+{-**

**

* * *

**I'm going to say this again, just so everyone gets the message.

**This is a rewrite.**

Persona 3: Fairly English Story, has been completed. This is just me going through, adding content, correcting mistakes, and sorting out the formatting. **If you are reading this for the first time and want to complete the story from the latest chapter of the Rebuild, go to my profile, scroll down, and you will find the full, 108 chapter-long version of Persona 3: Fairly English Story.**

I'm saying this here because I can't respond to anonymous reviews. **Each chapter here corresponds to the same chapter in Persona 3: Fairly English Story. Chapter 23 of the Rebuild covers the same events of Chapter 23 of Fairly English Story, and so on. Just pick up that story where this one ends and you can continue enjoying the experience.**

At least, that's what I'd like to say. You really should read both stories from start to finish. They don't _quite_ match up.

SamJaz out.**  
**


	24. Rebuild 024

I walked to school with Yukari on Thursday. Risky move, I know, but I wanted to drill her for information on Fuuka.

She refused to talk about it though, other than the fact that yes, we were both making progress.

Sigh.

Junpei refused to talk about it flat out, and Akihiko and Mitsuru assumed I was asking for help.

So what choice did I have? Sulking in a corner won't get me answers.

* * *

I took Hidetoshi investigating. He was working on trying to find out who was smoking in the bathroom, and he told me that he was considering going into the alleys behind port island station after school, where all the bad kids hung out.

I went with him. Why?

A) Because I was doing my own investigation,  
B) Social link  
C) I used to run with this kind of crowd.

"What you want?" Lad A asked. Chariot.

"Just bored, mate." I answered, slapping his hand. "Can't stand all the self-righteous pricks at gecko high!"

I could feel Hidetoshi's surprise as the two guys there laughed. "Damn, what's going down there now?" Mate B said, Strength.

"The teachers are in uproar over some fucking cigarette butt found in the crapper." I shrugged.

I felt Hidetoshi's penny drop as he asked "Honestly… Who'd be that stupid?"

Thankfully, I'd gotten him to pocket the disciplinary committee armband before hand, which he saw as common sense. Why interrogate someone when you can ask nicely?

"Seriously?" Lad A laughed. "Ah man… don't those kids know how to fucking flush?"

Lad A knows nothing. "That's what I thought." I sighed. "Since the fucking teachers are all ass-tight about it, it's ruined it for the rest of us, innit?"

"Hey, come here if ever you wanna smoke!" Mate B offered.

"It's cool." I said, lifting up a sleeve. I'd stuck a round sticker there earlier, looked just like a nicotine patch. "Don't wanna overdo it."

"Come on, live a little!" Mate B egged me on.

"Plan to." I smirked. "You hear anything good?"

"Yep. Quiet!" Lad A laughed.

"Couple of girls started hanging around here, going on and on about some girl called Fuuka." Mate B explained.

Ears perked. "Yeah?"

"Only they've stopped coming lately, hopefully for good!" Mate B said.

Hidetoshi caught on here. "One of them a green haired girl called Maki?"

"Yeah, actually…" Lad A leaned forward to look at Hidetoshi. "You know her?"

"Not really." I shook my head. "Girl found unconscious outside school gate few days ago."

That surprised them. "No shit?"

Hidetoshi nodded. "She hasn't woken up since."

"Fucking hell…" Said Mate B. "What about the other girls?"

"Dunno." I said, standing up. "I'll have to get back to ya on that one." I walked away from them. "Later!"

"See ya!"

"Adios!"

* * *

"So, you investigating into that so called 'ghost story'?" Hidetoshi asked once we'd climbed the stairs into the train station.

"Nope." I answered, pulling off my 'nicotine' patch. "Actually investigating some bullying, looks like the ghost story's related."

Hidetoshi nodded. "I'll get you the names of any other girls who've been absent lately, just in case."

"Thanks." I said, grabbing his shoulder. "Shame we didn't get the same luck for your smoker."

"Yeah… well, that suggests that the smoker isn't open about it, nor is he a proper 'bad ass', as it were." He looked at me. "Thanks Minato-kun."

**SMASH**

_Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Emperor Arcana_

Now, there's one that doesn't sound foreboding for once.

* * *

Hidetoshi was good on his word, and he mailed me the names of the other girls during Friday lunch. See? This is what happens when people work together on their investigations.

Surprising. Since last Friday, seven girls have been reported absent, one of them Fuuka, Maki, and other girls in 2-E.

How the hell had this happened without anyone else putting two and two together? Hell, Mitsuru takes great pride in this school. How the hell has this escaped her attention?

Yukari's not gonna like this.

Speak of the devil…

"Well, today's Friday!" She looked happy. "Did you two ask around, like I asked?"

"Huh?" Junpei asked. "We had something planned for today?" Yukari gave him an evil glare amongst evil glares. "I'm just kidding!" He flinched. "Sheesh… you have such a short temper…"

"Then we'll meet in the dorm after school." She declared. "Don't forget!"

"Yes Ma'am…" Junpei groaned.

"Yes Haruhi…" I mumbled, earning myself a punch in the shoulder. "Ow!"

* * *

"Okay, as we agreed on Monday, we'll now hold a meeting to discuss what we learned." Yukari announced once we were in the dorm.

Junpei whistled. "Wow, you're really getting into this…"

"Of course!" Yukari beamed. "I've got lots of good info. Turns out, no angry ghost was involved."

I raised my hand. "Sorry, I'm gonna have to stop you there."

"Huh?" Yukari snapped to attention. "What makes you sure?"

"Want me to just tell you why or shall I explain everything I found in a manner that makes sense?" I asked.

"Just get it over with now Minato." Junpei said, vaulting the back of the couch and laying down on it.

I got into a crouch on the armchair, but Yukari remained standing. "Welcome," I said, lifting the torch to my chin "To Minato's Believe it, Or Don't!"

"Ugh, not this again…" Yukari rolled her eyes.

"Hey! Get your own spooky skit!" an annoyed Junpei said, completely missing the fact that I was mocking him.

"Fine then…" I stood up normally and tossed the torch aside. I was looking forward to that too. "Turns out that the girl was eaten by an angry ghost."

"WHAT?" Yukari was enraged.

"Nice one man!" Junpei found it hilarious.

"Take this seriously, why don't you!" Yukari was fuming.

"I am." I didn't even have to try to keep a straight face. "That girl, amongst others, have fallen victim to an angry ghost, which is why the rumour spread so fast." Yukari was getting really mad now. "For now, we'll code name the ghost 'Shadow'."

Yukari calmed down quickly. "Wait, does that mean—?"

"It's just a code name, don't jump to conclusions." There's still a 0.0031 percent chance that Empress wasn't behind this, but I'm not supposed to know that yet. "Anyway. This girl, and others, are showing symptoms of Apathy Syndrome, but since the others fell victim at home, Maki-san was the only one widely known about."

"Maki?" Junpei asked.

"The girl found outside the school gates." I explained. "But that's not all. These girls all shared a particular hobby. Can you guess what it is?"

"Hanging around behind the train station…" Yukari seemed impressed.

"Close, but that's only where they discussed their hobby." I said, getting a surprised look from Yukari. "You didn't go there and ask, did you?"

"No, I was gonna suggest we do that tomorrow night…" Yukari admitted.

"The HELL!" Junpei leaped to his feet. "Are you Freaking INSANE?"

"Debatable. I went there yesterday afternoon." I told him with a shrug. "They're alright, so long as you know how to deal with them."

"Alright? ALRIGHT!" Junpei was getting into a panic. "I don't know if you realise this, since you're not from around here, but bad kids in Japan carry bats. AND KNIVES!"

"Bad kids in England carry spiked bats, knives, bricks, guns, explosives and flamethrowers."

"Eh—Wha—Dude, that's just messed…" Junpei slouched back onto the couch. "How the hell do you even get flamethrowers' anyways!"

"Oh, it's easy." I explained. "You get a can of deodorant and—"

"Minato!"

"Huh? Oh, right, ghost story." Back on topic. "They went there to talk about the things they did to one Fuuka"

"Fuuka?" Junpei asked, leaning back up. "Fuuka Yamagishi?"

"I think so." I replied, nodding, "But that was only two witnesses. I want to go back there on Saturday night for confirmation."

"Great!" Yukari replied. "I'll come too."

"What?" Junpei came back up. "You're out of your minds!"

"Come on Junpei." I encouraged him. "It's nothing to Tartarus."

"Huurrrgh. When you put it like that, I don't have a choice do I?" he groaned.

* * *

"I still don't get how you can be afraid of ghosts, but not this!" Junpei hissed on the way there.

"A lot of people are afraid of things they can't see." Yukari reasoned.

"I'm not afraid of the dark." I noted.

"You're probably afraid of the ninjas hiding in the dark," she scoffed.

I smirked at that. She's closer than she thinks.

"We're here." I said, leading the way down the stairs. "Remember, act natural." I'd made sure that we got changed out of our school uniforms before coming.

That, and I'd made it clear not to bring any weapons. No bats, no knives, ESPECIALLY no Evokers. Guys like these could smell weapons from a mile away, and they didn't like it coming from anyone but their own clique.

I'll tell you the story behind that little lesson another time. It's the one where I began to hate knives. Not the one where I made my rule, different story altogether.

Something I mentioned in the meeting last night, they don't like Gekkoukan High, but they've nothing against Gekkoukan high students who hate the school. However, this meant that they'd change out of their uniforms as soon as they got home.

I for one was wearing one of Junpei's baseball caps with a black hoodie over it. Add my hair, and you could barely see my face. Yukari had gone for something stylish, and Junpei was wearing a coat over a vest.

Yep. We look in no way suspicious at all.

Everyone turned to look at us as we walked down the alley. "…The fuck?" One guy asked. I didn't see either of my two 'mates' from Thursday.

"Oh, man…" Junpei moaned to himself. "This is worse than I thought…"

"Hey, You!" A couple of guys approached us. "I think you're in the wrong place."

"Uh… Why… Well…" Junpei stammered. I kept my head down.

"You don't belong here… Get it?" One guy threatened him. "Beat it Goatee."

"G-Goatee?" Junpei stumbled, "Oh, Y-You mean me…"

Dammit Junpei. Don't submit to their authority, but don't challenge it either. That's the key to dealing with people like this diplomatically. Level ground…

"We don't need your permission to be here." Yukari announced loudly.

Ah, crap. I should have told them not to say anything without my cue while I was laying down ground rules.

"_H-hey, are you nuts?_" Junpei whispered to her. "Take a look around you!"

"I'm not blind, ya know." Yukari said loud and clear. "Come on, don't be intimidated by these scum!"

Aaaannd the Darwin Award for stunning contribution to the survival of the fittest, going above and beyond the call of duty, goes to…

"What was that?" one thug snapped, rising.

Drum roll please.

Pharos began to air-drum while stamping his feet quickly.

"She just called us Scum!" another snarled.

…

"Let's get 'em!"

D-dish!

Congratulations, Yukari Take-

"We'll post some pictures that will make her daddy cry!" one of the skanky girls said. "She'll wish she had never been born!"

Wait, last minute contestant…

"Hahahahahahaha! Oh, that's so clever…"

"Ugh, these guys are the worst…" Yukari asked, and I glanced at her.

She has no idea that she was just sentenced a gang-rape, does she?

"You oughta shut that fucking trap of yours!" the biggest of them said, storming towards them. Wow, this was tense – who would 'win'? Well, it was close, but the prize goes to…

"I feel sorry for you man…" the biggest asshole laughed. "That bitch is a pain in the fucking ass!" And he punched Junpei in the stomach.

"Guh!" He fell to his knees.

"Junpei!" Yukari cried.

"Hey pretty boy!" He turned on me, and suddenly, we had a winner! Congratulations... "I don't like your fucking face either!" THAT GUY! "Got anything to say before I—"

SMASH! Hands in my hoodie pockets, I kneed him in the chin. Blood flew, and I stepped on his oversized belt buckle so I could shove my other kneecap there too. CRACK!

Oooh, I like that sound. I rested my raised leg onto his collarbone and pushed him to the ground like a skateboard.

WHAM! Oh, he's out cold.

"Bit overkill," Pharos said as I drew myself to full height. "But impressive. I'll give you an eight for effort."

Only an eight? Let's push that score higher.

"I'm sorry, but it sounded like someone was going suggesting something that I wouldn't be happy with." I asked as knives left the thugs' pockets.

I reached down and grabbed a loose brick from the ground. It had a familiar weight.

The brick. The weapon that taught me the difference between a schoolyard brawl and fighting for your life in the gutter.

I flicked it into the air and caught it in a reverse grip. "**Am I gonna have to fuck someone over?**" I asked, tilting my head back and glaring at my opponents.

In the end, old reliable rocks are my weapon of choice against other people.

Fear flashed across everyone's faces. There's another story I'll have to tell you. Never steal from a drug dealer's car. My leg didn't quite heal right.

Then a tall, dark figure strode forward like he owned the place. He probably did. "That's enough." he said.

Oh crap… It's Shinji.

"They didn't know what they were getting into." He said. "I'll make sure they leave, alright?"

"Who do you think you are, dumbass?" Wow, the guy who said that is stupid. He deserves a Darwin Honourable Mention at the least. Still, he seemed to have the rest of the guys here backing him up. We needed to play this cool...

"Was I talking to you?" Shinji asked him as if he were an idiot.

Wait, what?

"That's it!" another guy shouted, knife flashing as he charged at. "YOU'RE FUCKIN' DEA-!"

Shinji didn't even take his hands out of his pockets, didn't even move a step. CRUNCH, and the thug was down and out.

Dude, did he just headbutt that guy?

"See Minato?" Pharos pointed out. "_He_ gets a ten out of ten for awesome, and he didn't even have to put any effort into it."

Quiet, you…

"Fuck you Shinjiro…" Another guy growled. "I thought you were one of us!"

Shinji tilted his head. "What gave you that idea?" he asked. "I don't remember swearing a blood oath."

"And now it's eleven." Pharos commented. "You just got outdone." Grr… "More like 'Gar'"

"You sunuva… You just fucking crossed the motherfuckin' line!" other guy shouted. "You think you're fuckin' getting home alive?"

"Sure do." Shinji smirked, getting into a stance with his hands _still_ in his pocket. "Wanna give it a try?"

"Now it's Twelve." Pharos said. Stop counting, dammit! He's awesome, I get it!

The guy rubbing his head got off the ground. "F-FUCK this!" He began to run for it.

"Wait." I said, stepping off the unconscious guy, and palming the brick. "You forgot something."

"You were trying to look cool, so it doesn't count." Dammit.

"Hahaha," Girls who decided the gang-rape laughed. "What a dick-head!" they shouted as they walked away, leaving the two other guys carrying their unconscious friend, presumably to hospital, since I think I broke his jaw.

He got off lucky. I was prepared to spill blood.

* * *

Once we were alone, Junpei stood up. "Oh, man, Senpai, that was awesome!" Did everyone forget just what I did? I was matrix level for crying out loud!

"YOU IDIOTS!" Hey, Shinji agrees with me—oh, that was directed at me too. "Get out of here, this place isn't for you!"

"Wait!" Yukari shouted as he turned to leave. "We came here for a reason!"

Shinji stopped and turned back. "You guys… you were at the hospital…" I pulled off my hood and hat. "Yeah, I remember you… did Aki tell you to come?"

Aki? They sound close. "No. He didn't." I said, tossing the brick aside. "I did."

The brick crunched against a lamppost. It was a good brick, but I was making a point.

"That's right, you're running the operations now, aren't you?" Shinji asked. Yukari and Junpei had no idea what he was on about, but I wasn't surprised. "So what do you want to know, about that ghost story?"

"Uh, Yeah…" Yukari said. "How'd you know?" she asked, as Shinji moved towards some steps.

"It's a rumour…" He said, sitting down. "Those girls who wound up at the hospital were down here talking shit about some girl called Fuuka."

Told you they were picking on her.

Shinji nodded. "That's why they're saying that it's Fuuka's spirit that did it." Wait, what? "I hear it's all over the net too."

"Fuuka's sprit?" Yukari asked. "What do you mean by that?"

"You guys don't know?" Shinji stood up. "This Fuuka girl might be dead."

Wait, what?

"She hasn't been home in over a week." Shinji pointed out, getting angry. "Don't you guys go to school? How do you not know this?"

How _did _we not know this?

"You serious?" Junpei asked. "I thought she was sick! But… She's missing?"

And those girls were registered as absent, not hospital bound… wait...

"So much for the ghost story…" Yukari said. "Mr. Ekoda is the home room teacher for 2-E right?" The one who was hiding fear related to bullying? Wait… "Does he know about this?"

"I bet he's covering it up." I said.

That got everyone's attention, even Shinji. "Those girls weren't marked down as hospitalised, and he's been hiding fear all week." I pointed out.

"When you rule out the impossible," Pharos said, "Then whatever is left, no matter how improbable, is the most probable."

That doesn't really fit in this situation though, Pharos.

"Holmes is the only detective I know," he shrugged, apparently unworried about this whole situation.

Batman's a detective.

"I get it Aki…" Shinji said to himself. "Still trying to make up for the past… It's you who can't let go…" He suddenly noticed us. "Nothing… That's all I know." He glared. "Satisfied?"

"Y-Yeah!" Junpei bowed. "Thanks Senpai! Come on," He said to me and Yukari. "Show some appreciation!"

"Thanks! You totally helped us out!" Yukari bowed. "You're very kind!"

"Huh?" Shinji asked.

"I- Um…" Yukari shook her head. "Nevermind…"

"Tch…" Shinji started to walk away.

"Wait!" I ran after him, stepping in front of him.

"What do you want?" Shinji asked, staring me down.

I stared right back at him, but he didn't budge a fraction of an inch. Checking I was out of earshot for Junpei and Yukari, I said in a low voice, "I want you to reconsider leaving S.E.E.S."

If he was surprised, he didn't show it, choosing to push me aside instead. "Don't ever come here again…" And he walked away.

Well, that failed. I'll see Igor tomorrow, things are gonna go down Monday morning.


	25. Rebuild 025

I went into the Velvet Room on Sunday, and was greeted by Elizabeth, who was carrying a tray of drinks.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room," she said. "Would you like your regular table?"

"Yeah, sure." I shrugged.

"Right this way, Sir." Elizabeth led me through all the empty tables and chairs in the club.

"So, who is everybody?" I asked, looking at a grey haired young man cleaning a glass behind the bar.

"The barman is Theodore, my brother." Ah, that's why. Does that make him and Elizabeth my Anima and Animus?

Probably. "On the stage is Belladonna." Elizabeth continued. There was a big, but not unattractive woman in a dress singing the mournful melody of the Velvet Room, kinda like Aretha Franklin. "And playing piano is William." The man in question had slicked back black hair, with one lock coming down in front of his cool shades. I liked his white grand piano. "And here is the master." Elizabeth said, pulling up a seat at Igor's table for me.

"Thank you." I said, sitting there. Elizabeth laid a menu in front of my place, but instead of drinks, it had a selection of Personae from the Compendium.

"Please let me know if you wish to place an order." She said, placing the glasses on the table. Igor had a wide glass of an amber liquid, probably scotch, while I had—

"Orange juice?" I asked. "Seriously?"

"You are underage, you know." Igor reminded me. Pfft, like that's ever stopped me before. "So how may I be of assistance to you today?"

"I was wondering if you could give me a hand with what's going to happen tomorrow." I asked, taking a sip out of my glass.

"Ah yes, it is the Full Moon, isn't it?" He remarked. "And you will be performing an interrogation?"

"Most likely." I said. "Any advice you have for me?"

"Well, if you were to study your menu, you might find something of interest."

Okay? I looked at it. Nothing was new… wait, go back.

"Orpheus wasn't that strong, was it?" I asked. It had Agilao, for one thing, and much higher stats.

"That is a stronger version of your original Persona." Igor explained. "Orpheus Custom, to go with the change in your Velvet Room."

I'd gotten rid of him ages ago.

"I'll have that one please." I said.

"Very well." Elizabeth said, turning to walk to the bar. "I'll be right back with your order."

"Order?" I asked Igor.

"Things work differently now." he chuckled.

* * *

"Here you are sir." Elizabeth placed a simple glass with a clear liquid inside. "Please drink it."

Okay? I gulped it on one go.

_Thou art I… And I am Thou…  
From the sea of the soul, I returneth._

That was… Odd…

"It may take some time to get used to this." Igor told me. "But I'm sure you will prefer this arrangement overall."

I placed some money on the table, paying for my 'Drink'. "Thank you. See you later!"

"Farewell." Igor said.

"Have a pleasant day." Elizabeth added.

* * *

"Oh! I'm sorry sir…"

When I left the Velvet Room I saw a young police officer. Magician Arcana.

"Erm… Is there a problem officer?" I asked, shifting into Pale Rider.

He practically flinched as I spoke. Wow, he's pathetic. "Erm… well… I'm trying to gather details about an incident last night."

"Last night?"

"Yeah, a young man was hospitalised with a broken jaw, his friend claims he was attacked behind Port Island station, do you know anything about it?"

Honesty is the best policy. "Yes. I did it."

The man jumped out of his skin. "What? Really?"

"Yes." I said nodding. "Did the man also mention that he first assaulted my friend, decided to rape another friend, and that I only retaliated after those had happened AND he was about to punch me in the face?"

"No, he did not…" He scratched his head with a pencil. "What were you doing back there anyways?"

"A girl in my school has gone missing." I replied. "Fuuka Yamagishi. We were trying to gather information on where she was, but unfortunately…"

"I see…" The police officer scribbled something onto his notepad. "Thank you very much for this. I'll have to take your name and address in case the young man presses charges, you understand, right?"

"Of course." Nice chap, bit spineless. "Minato Arisoto." I gave him the Dorm's address.

"Thank you very much." He touched his cap. "Have a nice day!"

I thanked him and walked off.

"He's looking into the alley." Pharos told me as I pulled out my phone.

"Probably just wondering what I was doing in there." I said, looking for the entire world like I was on the phone. "That, or he knows a good place to get drinks, but I doubt it."

"Good trick you've got there."

"Thanks."

"Just hope the phone doesn't ring or else you're gonna look really stupid."

* * *

Next day, lunchtime, I went to the teachers' lounge with Junpei and Yukari. Mitsuru was already talking to Mr Ekoda, who appeared to be talking to some dark skinned ginger girl.

I didn't know you got those in Japan, but apparently you do. Apparently it's called 'Ganguro', or something.

"Hold on Mitsuru," Ekoda said, "This isn't an interrogation." I walked around to see his face better, as he turned to the girl. "Natsuki. You don't have to say anything if you don't want to. You wouldn't want to give her the wrong idea."

"Ooh, now that's interesting." I said, cutting in.

"What is, Arisoto?" Mitsuru asked.

"Well, you know I can see Micro Expressions when I concentrate on someone's face?" I said.

"No."

"Well, I can." I said. "They're the true emotions that flash on someone's face when they lie."

"What are you suggesting Arisoto?" Ekoda glared.

"That you're scared shitless of Natsuki-San here saying something that will turn out badly for you, and that you flashed contempt when you talked about Mitsuru-senpai." I crouched into a wheelie chair, spinning around to face him. "Do you not respect Mitsuru's authority as a representative of the school then?"

"Wha-I don't have to hear this!" He shouted, then slammed a fist against the desk. He looked pretty outraged, which I probably would have found funny if I weren't so tired of his crap. "I am a teacher! You are all my students. I am in authority here, you do not accuse me of anything!"

"Pretty good, almost convincing, with the hand and desk." I said, keeping a straight face while making hand gestures towards the hand in question. "But if your outrage at the accusations wasn't partly due to the fact that they held some weight, then your hand would've hit the table while you were talking, but I digress." I love this bit. "Why would we be accusing you, Mr Ekoda?" I asked him. "Have you done something wrong?"

"Wha-I—!" He gasped in an angry tone, but I caught his expression. Honestly, his face is like an open book.

"Shame, Fear, your eyes keep flashing for an exit." I explained. "You're trying to exert dominance over me, but you know I'm right, your behaviour seems to be withdrawing." I leaned closer to him, and he withdrew into his seat a fraction. "Do you fear my Authority, Mr Ekoda?"

"Arisoto!" Mitsuru snapped. "This is not why we are here!"

"Right, Sorry Senpai." Correcting my target, I swivelled around to Natsuki. Temperance, that's interesting. She's nothing like Bebe from what I can tell.

I switched from Orpheus to Genbu, and shifted into a cross legged position on the chair. "Hey, Natsuki-san, right?" I asked with a warm smile. "I'm Minato Arisoto." She looked at me, and I didn't even need micro expressions to see the fear on her face, but I did to see that she felt serious shame and sadness.

Good thing I went for the friendly approach then, because this girl's already broken. "I'm not going to lie to you Natsuki-san." I told her calmly. "I want to help find Fuuka. And I know that you've done something with her." That terrified her, need to calm her down, fast, "But I also know that you're ashamed of what you've done to her, and that you want to make things right." She nodded, good, her breathing's starting to become more steady. "But to do that, you need to tell us what you did, so we can find her and make this right, okay?"

She sobbed, and nodded. "Alright." I said, leaning back to give her some space. "Whenever you're ready."

"Damn," Pharos said. "That was smooth." I kept my eyes on Natsuki, but I could tell that everyone else in the room was impressed.

"Fuuka… She…" Natsuki took a deep breath. "She always looked so frazzled whenever I gave her a hard time… Then, I realised…she's and honour student, but… but deep inside, she was just like us…" Oh, that's some deep shame. "I knew exactly which buttons to push. We were just messing around with her that day too!"

"It's okay…" I said. I couldn't blame her. Once you know what buttons to push, people are so fun to manipulate. "Which day?"

"May twenty-ninth…" Natsuki said, almost in a whisper, not making eye contact with anyone. "We took Fuuka to the gym… then… we locked the door from the outside…"

"What!" Junpei exclaimed, but I put my hand up to silence him. "You locked her in!"

Natsuki nodded, and I resisted the urge to educate Junpei on the quiet-hand. "That night… Maki went back to school alone… she was afraid that we'd get into trouble if Fuuka committed suicide… But… she never came back… and… the next morning…"

"She was found lying on the ground outside the school gate…" Yukari finished.

"I went to the gym to let Fuuka out, but the door was still locked…" Natsuki continued. "So, I opened the door to look inside… and she wasn't there…"

Wait, what? "We all freaked out…" Natsuki finished, "Starting that night, we all went looking for her… but each time…"

"You all ended up like Maki-san…" I said. "And now you're all alone…" Natsuki nodded, bursting into tears. I got out of my chair and gave her a hug. "It's alright… thank you for telling us…" I added, trying to calm her down.

Mitsuru, meanwhile, turned on Ekoda.

"All this time…" she almost snarled at him. "You've attributed Fuuka's absence as 'illness', but in reality, she was missing. You must have known this." I turned to look at him, still holding a sobbing Natsuki. "What was your intention?"

"I was thinking of the students of course!" Oh, I want to slap that liar's face. "You children may not understand, but we have to consider the future of everyone affected.

"You mean, you chose not to report this to the police for 'the good of the class'?" Mitsuru glared.

"It, it was in her best interest!" Ekoda protested. I'd let go of Natsuki now that she'd calmed down, and was rising to full height. "I- I wouldn't want her records stained by something like this!" He said in a panic as I walked out the door.

Closing it behind me, I took a deep breath. Calm down Minato…

"I say you kick his ass." Pharos said.

"I can't. I'm a student, I'll get kicked out."

"Minato Arisoto can't." Pharos grinned evilly. "But Orpheus Mikazuchi isn't a student of this school is he?"

Oh that sly sonuva…

* * *

I ran into the bathroom and combed my hair back. I swapped ties, put on a spare jacket, not a school one. Putting on a set of sunglasses, I walked back in there.

"Minato?" Yukari asked, Natsuki was talking to Mitsuru.

"Sorry?" I said. "I don't know him." I flashed my Tanaka Corp ID. "I'm Orpheus Mikazuchi; I have some business with Mr. Ekoda."

"Look, Minato," Junpei told me. "I wanna kick his ass just as much as you do, but you 'ain't foolin' anybody."

"Ah well." I brushed my hair forward with my fingers, taking off my glasses. "It was worth a shot."

Mitsuru walked over to us. "Arisoto was right." she said. "It's them, no doubt about it."

"Oh man…" Junpei said.

"Senpai…" Yukari began. "Does this mean?"

Mitsuru nodded. "Until now, there was no way of knowing who was going to be active during the Dark Hour, but it's the voice." Wait, did I miss something important? "It draws them in. It's not just a random phenomenon. This whole thing made me realise…"

"They're specifically targeting humans?" I asked, stealing someone's thunder.

"Precisely Arisoto." Mitsuru nodded. "Shadows are the enemy of mankind." She turned to Natsuki. "Stay at our dorm tonight." Mitsuru ordered. "It's the safest place." Natsuki nodded, and Mitsuru continued relaying instructions, "If you hear the voice, tell us immediately. And don't leave the room, no matter what. If you can do that much, you should be okay." She softened up a bit. "Don't worry; Yamagishi should be alright as well."

Mitsuru turned back to us. "We'll meet after school in the student council room to discuss tonight's operation."

"Tonight?" Junpei asked.

"We're gonna rescue Yamagishi." She said. "If my guess is right, she's still inside the school."

* * *

During class that afternoon, Junpei passed me a note.

_What's going on? What's Mitsuru mean by Fuuka's still in the school?_

Sighing, I scribbled my answer on the back.

_Fuuka was locked in the school overnight. At night, school turns to Tartarus, so she's trapped inside. It's been ten days for us, so in theory, she'll have been there for ten hours by the time we find her. Hopefully, if she's managed to avoid combat and has climbed the stairs whenever Reaper approached, she'll still be alive. We'll probably try to sneak into the school tonight, try to enter the way she did._

I slipped the paper into Junpei's pocket. He slipped it out and read it. Once he'd finished, he smiled evilly.

* * *

I hit the nail on the head. We discussed everything and came to the exact same conclusion as I did without me even having to say a word. Junpei said that he knew exactly what to do. I hope that he does.

That evening, as we walked to school in the evening, Mitsuru was trying to call Ikutsuki. We were wearing casual clothes for this operation, just to avoid attracting attention, and I was carrying the weapons and armour in my scroll. "I can't get a hold of the chairman." Mitsuru complained, closing her phone shut.

"I guess we'll have to handle it ourselves then." Akihiko smiled.

"One problem." Mitsuru said. "Without the chairman's help, I'm not sure how we can get into the school."

"No need to worry." Junpei chuckled. "I've got it all set to go."

"Set to go…" Mitsuru asked. "An explosive?"

Oh, hell yeah! Go Junpei!

"Very well." Mitsuru said, smiling. "I'll let you handle it." She picked up the pace.

"An explosive?" Yukari hissed into Junpei's ear. "For real?"

"Nah." He shrugged, bemused. Dammit, Junpei. "All I did was unlock a door."

Well, I could have done that when we got there! I wanted an explosion!

* * *

Once we got in, I spent ages trying to explain to Junpei that Trey Ben was, in fact, not English, and that Mitsuru was saying Tres Bien, which was French.

"But if that's the case, then why is she saying Three Good?"

"Because the French are silly like that." Yes, I'm English. We don't like the French. Or the Welsh, for that matter. They were like the English, only without any balls. The Scottish, on the other hand, are like us, but with no survival instinct."And you're mixing Spanish with French."

Best stop insulting other cultures and get back to the task at hand.

* * *

"Um… Can we turn on the lights?" Yukari asked once we were inside a classroom.

"Aww, you scared? OW!" Junpei said. "Who hit me?"

"Akihiko!" I hissed. "That was so inappropriate!"

"I'm over here." Akihiko said. A good ten feet away from Junpei. Nine feet away from me.

You can guess who Junpei went for.

"Quiet." Akihiko hissed, before turning to Yukari. "It's better if we leave them off. They cut the power at night anyway."

Yukari touched her elbow defensively. "I don't like sneaking around…" Holy crap, my night vision is immense!

_Actually, that's me helping you._

Oh, well, thanks Pharos.

"First, we need to find the key to the gym." Mitsuru said. "Akihiko and I will check the Janitor's room. You three check the Faculty office."

"Faculty office…" Junpei grinned. "Maybe we'll find some test questions, heheheh…"

Akihiko perked to attention. "Maybe I should go to the Faculty office too…" he smirked. "It sounds... interesting…"

"Are you planning something unscrupulous under my supervision?" Mitsuru asked. "If so, then expect to be severely punished!"

GAH! Scary!

"I-it was a joke!" Junpei laughed nervously. "I-I'd never do something like that!"

"Come on Mitsuru." Akihiko sighed. "Lighten up."

"Fine." Mitsuru said. "Then let's proceed to the Janitor's room. Iori, you're coming with us!"

Sorry Junpei, maybe next time.

Yukari turned to me after the others left. "Alright, let's get this over with!"

* * *

Now, I actually needed a piss, but I really didn't think it was appropriate, so I held it in as we passed the bathroom.

All went well until we got to the lobby, when we heard footsteps. "You hear that?" Yukari asked. The footsteps came closer. "There's someone else here?" Yukari hissed.

Years of watching the Bourne Trilogy and losing track of time during my Dark Hour adventures took over as I clamped her mouth shut and hid behind the nearest pillar. I relaxed my grip as the torch beam passed from our right to our left, not revealing our location. "Sorry…" I whispered into her ear as the security guard left.

"It's okay…" Yukari said, gasping for breath.

"Really?" I asked. "You look like you're hyperventilating."

"Do you blame me?" She snapped. "I mean, we did break into the school in the middle of the night. Wait a minute..." A penny dropped in her head. "That could've been one of the others… Haha, there's nothing to be afraid of, right? Hahaha... Why am I laughing?"

Because you just realised that you're as insane as the rest of us?

Then her mobile rang. "My cell phone! Why now!" Better question, why was it not on silent? "Figures… its spam…" Wait, you get spam on phones? Oh, Japan phones use Email instead of texts. Gotcha. "Sorry about that." Yukari apologized. "It took me by surprise!"

"You were so cute." I said with a polite smile.

"Huh?" Yukari blushed as we set off towards the Faculty Office. "I-It's not funny!"

_Oh, she wants you man._

Shut it. I'm stuck juggling two girls at once as it is._  
_

_Y__eah. If only you had a bit more spine, then they'd only be friends, allowing you to pursue the Social Link and Yukari._

Shut it.

Wait, did you just..?

_Yes. Yes I did._

Pharos was actually starting to annoy me at times lately.

Still, it could be worse, and he is more of a help than a hindrance.

_Aww, you know you love me._

...In general.

* * *

Yukari tried to open the door to the Faculties office. "It's locked!"

"Well, that leaves us with two choices." I said. "One, we could walk back to the lobby, meet up with the others, hope they found the Gym key."

"We can't just give up!" Yukari hissed.

"Two, we bray the door down." I said.

"What!" I'm sure she guessed what I was suggesting. "W-we can't damage school property!"

"Then that leaves three." I said, getting down on one knee and pulling out my Leatherman. Selecting a tool, I poked it into the lock.

"What are you doing?"

"Picking the lock." The lock clicked open. "Part of the Custom tools I requested." I waved it in front of her with a smile on my face. "Picks almost any basic lock! Great, huh?"

Yukari wasn't as impressed as she should have been. "You had that the whole time."

"Yeah…" I'm in trouble somehow.

"And you never thought to mention it until now?"

"Yeah…" Why am I in trouble now?

"Even though it could have saved us a lot more trouble just to pick the lock of the Gym door with that _instead_ of stealing the key?" she asked with a death glare Pharos' night vision let me see in all its deadliness.

… Oh.

That's why I'm in trouble.


	26. Rebuild 026

Yukari had ended up staying behind with Mitsuru, while us three hung around in the Gym until it was time for the Dark Hour. Mitsuru had seemed pretty annoyed at me forgetting I could have cut out a tonne of hassle during the mission.

Junpei thought it was freaking hilarious, however. "Dude, I can't believe you didn't mention that you had a lock pick earlier."

"Shut up Junpei…" I grunted.

"He's right though." Akihiko noted with a smirk. "It would have saved us a lot of time and effort."

"Yeah, whatever." I shrugged.

"Admit it, you screwed up this time," Pharos chuckled.

"Shut up all of you!" I yelled, then froze as I saw Pharos' evil grin and heard Junpei burst out laughing even harder.

To get my rep back, I challenged them to a situp race to pass the time. Junpei dropped out pretty quick, so it was me and Akihiko grunting our way past three hundred when the Dark Hour struck.

* * *

Okay, I am never, _Ever_ doing that again.

Apart from the whole 'knocking you out thing', that was downright traumatising.

Remember how freaky it was when the school first turned to Tartarus?

Well imagine that, only inside out and upside down. And don't even get me started as to what happened to the sandbag. That was just plain nasty.

I sat up, squeezing my bladder in the process. Damn, have got to find a toilet soon.

"Everyone alright?" I asked.

_**They are not here**_

Craps? I opened my eyes to see the Reaper.

"Oh, bugger me…" I whispered.

_**Not tonight, human**_

Huh? I looked around. Oh sweet biscuit cakes, I'm in the stair room. Safe. "How long was I out?" I asked, hoping he'd be pleasant.

_**It is seven minutes past the hour**_

Seven minutes huh?

"Mitsuru, where is everyone?"

**" -^- oto -^- ra -^-"**

"Mitsuru?" I asked. "Come in Mitsuru."

**" -^- ta -^- me -^-"**

I can't translate broken Japanese.

Still, if Mitsuru can't get a clear transmission at this level, then that must be why we never detected Fuuka earlier. She's out of range.

Come to think of it, Mitsuru has had problems scanning the higher floors closer to the latest barrier.

Hrm...

"Do you know where my friends are?" I asked the Reaper, trying to get as much out of him as I could while he was feeling civil.

_**They are above**_

"Right." I stood up. "Is Fuuka Yamagishi still alive?"

_**Whom do you speak of?**_

"She entered here ten days- ten hours ago?" I corrected.

_**I know not of whom you speak**_

That's either good, or really bad.

_~Who are you… Are you Human?~_

That looked like a good sign. "Thanks for your help." I said to the Reaper. "Later!" I jogged for the stairs.

_**Indeed**_ the Reaper said. _**Later

* * *

**_

_"There's something else I have to tell you."_

What is it, Pharos? I dodged around the Emperor Maya.

_"Tonight, there is more than one Ordeal that you must face."_

Aw, what! "So I have to fight the Emperor too?"

_"Most likely. You must press on and find your friends."_

I just hoped nothing pressed on me; I need a piss and I'm fit to burst.

* * *

I found Junpei and Akihiko on the next floor.

"Hey, here he is!" Junpei shouted, running towards me. "Man, we were worried about you!"

"I don't think we should enter Tartarus this way again…" Akihiko suggested. Thanks, captain obvious.

"Oh yeah!" Junpei said, "Did you hear a voice while you were coming up here? Kinda like…"

"Who is this..? Are you human?"

Holy Crap Junpei does impressions! AND he's a ventriloquist!

"Th-That's it! That's the voice!" Aaand Junpei just blew any chance of fooling us that he was. "It sounded like it was coming from behind us…"

We all looked behind Junpei. A turquoise haired girl popped her head around the corner, almost comically.

"Are you Fuuka Yamagishi?" Akihiko asked. Come to think of it, it was funny. The girl ran towards us.

"Wow, you're alive!" Junpei said. "That's Awesome!" He grinned and posed. "Never fear, Junpei is here!"

"Good." I said, walking around a corner. "Because I need a slash."

"Err… A what?" Junpei asked, cocking his head.

"A slash." I explained, pulling down my zip and getting to business. "Also known as a wee, widdle, wiz pee, piss, answering natures call, urinating, draining the sea monster, and relieving oneself." Ah, that felt good.

"What!" Junpei shouted, turning away. "Dude, here and now?"

"I've been holding it in all night!" I pointed out.

"Well we found her, so now we can go!" Junpei shouted.

Hey, I'm going right into the face's mouth!

"Seriously?" Pharos asked.

Well, there's always a time to be immature. Once in a while.

"Whatever…" Akihiko said, turning to Fuuka. "I'm glad you're okay… come with us."

"Thank you so much…" Fuuka said. "…I…I…"

"Looks like we made the right decision." Akihiko said.

Damn, I _really_ needed a piss.

"I'll see if I can contact Mitsuru." Akihiko said, putting two fingers in his ear. Good luck.

"Where are we?" Fuuka asked Junpei as I finished. "I was at school, and then…"

"Well, it's a long story." Junpei said as I flicked off the hangers-on and zipped up. "I'll explain after we get out of here."

"And I'll explain any mistakes he makes." I said, walking over to them, brushing my hands together with a fireball.

"Dude, not cool…" Junpei groaned before looking into the corner. "Oh, that's hilarious!"

I turned to him. "Grow up Junpei." I said. "You don't just utilise toilet humour in the presence of a lady!" In the privacy of your own mind, however, you do it all you want. To be fair though, it looked like Fuuka found it slightly funny. If a bit surreal.

Akihiko, however, has having trouble with the transceiver.

"O-oh yeah, are ya hurt?" Junpei asked Fuuka, trying to regain his standing as a mature and responsible young man. "Have you run into any monsters?"

"So there ARE strange creatures in here, then…" Fuuka said, looking surprised. "I've managed to avoid them so far…"

That got peoples attention. "Are you serious!" Akihiko asked, "How is that possible?"

"Umm... It's sorta hard to describe, but…" Fuuka looked a bit uncomfortable. "I can sort of tell where they are…"

Oh hey, she can detect Shadows. Called it.

"Whaddya mean?" Junpei asked. "Are you Psychic?" Way to jump to the wrong conclusion, Stupei.

"She has the same power as Mitsuru…" Akihiko said, getting it in one. "Maybe even stronger, since Mitsuru's Persona is more battle orientated…" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a spare Evoker. "Hang on to this." He said, passing it to Fuuka.

As you can imagine, she was horrified at the weapon in her hand. "But… But this is…!" She protested.

"Think of it as a lucky charm." Akihiko told her. "It's not a real gun." He turned us. "Come on, let's get out of here." He began walking down one corridor.

"Um… wait!" Fuuka said, "There's something down there!"

"Sweet!" I shouted, running down the corridor and pulling out my Evoker. There was another one of those Emperor Maya's. "ORPHEUS!"

**BLAM**

Orpheus flew out of my head, strumming a quick melody that exploded the Shadow's head. "Clear!" I shouted.

"Wha-what was that?" Fuuka asked.

"Persona." I told her. "That's how we fight them." I turned to everyone else. "Come on, we gotta leave the floor before the Reaper comes."

_**I'm already here**_

Crap. "Too late!" I said, looking for an exit while Fuuka began clutching her head.

"S-something's coming!"

Damn! I pulled out the weapons scroll and browsed it until I found… "HERE!" I pulled it out.

"What is that?" Akihiko asked.

"C-4. It should slow him down." I explained as I began strapping it to the walls. Adding the trip wire, I ordered everyone to "Hurry! He can't get us if we get to the stairs!"

* * *

We ran like hell, especially after we heard the _very_ satisfying KRAKOOM behind us. Once we saw the stairs, we sprinted, Junpei carrying Fuuka in his arms, and I looked back to see a rather bloody Reaper respawn a new left arm.

So he isn't invincible, just crazy strong.

_"OBSERVELATERRUNLIKEHELLNOW!"_

I threw a grenade at it. "FASTER!"

The Reaper shot the grenade, so it exploded harmlessly just as we crossed the threshold of the stair room. Gasping for breath, we panted as it stopped just outside of the doorway.

"Wh-what is that?" Fuuka asked, almost panicking.

"The Reaper." I told her, since I was the first to get my breath back. "It gets you if you stay on a floor for too long."

_**I did not pursue her**_

"Though I'm guessing that it didn't come after you, since you're still here." I added. "Come on, there should be an access point on the next floor."

Everyone nodded, and climbed the stairs.

* * *

With Fuuka's help, we managed to avoid any Shadows on the next floor as we searched for an access.

We did, however, find the first window I'd seen since I'd gotten into Tartarus; a huge, corridor long hole that opened the tower up to the naked night sky. "Woah…" Junpei said, as we leaned against the railings between the pillars.

I had to admit, it was beautiful in its own messed up nightmare fuel way. "Check out the moon!" He added, "I've never seen it so bright!"

"Some research indicates that the Shadows are affected by the phases of the moon." Akihiko told us, leaning on the railing as I sat on the ledge, swinging my legs over and letting my feet dangle over the city. Laughing, he added that "Of course, the same can be said for humans."

Junpei nodded. "That explains Yuka-Tan's mood swings."

I sighed. "Junpei?"

"Yeah man?" He asked

"Next time we're discussing the menstrual cycle in biology?" I asked him. "Please pay attention. You may find it useful in later life." Akihiko and Fuuka both laughed embarrassedly.

Quickly changing the subject, Junpei asked "Hey, wasn't it a full moon the night we went to the monorail?"

Akihiko started. "…Was it?"

"I think so…" Junpei was concerned. "…Why?"

Akihiko turned to me. "Hey, was it a full moon that time we were attacked at the dorm, back in April?"

I'd completely forgotten Pharos's warning, what with finding Fuuka and the Reaper. I nodded. "Yeah, it was."

Silently cursing, Akihiko tried to use the transceiver again. "Mitsuru! Mitsuru, do you hear me!"

**"-^v-Akihiko-^v-Shadow's-^v-"**

"HEY!" Akihiko shouted into his mic. "Mitsuru! Come In!"

Fuuka blinked, as if hearing something we couldn't... or _sensing_ something...

**"-^v-Be careful-^v-"**

Akihiko kept shouting, and Fuuka fell to her knees. "What is this thing?" she asked. "It's much bigger than the others… And it's attacking someone!"

"Bigger than the Reaper?" I asked her, sweating. I only had one block of C-4 left.

"No… but much more malevolent…" Okay, it's only evil, but not deadly. I rolled the scroll back up, but something caught my eye.

I haven't bought any bows. Yet there it was. I don't recognise that sword either…

Wait, that's Mitsuru's… so that bow's Yukari's… Yeah, I put them in here to transport them…

And I gave Junpei and Akihiko their weapons and Evokers when we were in the gym… wait, Evokers?

I quickly checked the third scroll, the one for tools. I kept a couple of spare Evokers in there just in case…

There were four. Yukari and Mitsuru's.

Crap. "We need to move fast." I said. "Where's the Access Point?" Pharos told me, and I started walking fast in that direction.

"Mitsuru can take care of herself." Akihiko told me catching up with me as I rolled up the scrolls.

"Not without these she can't." I replied, tossing him an Evoker. "It's one of the big ones. If we're right…"

"They come every full moon…" Akihiko replied. "Let's hurry!"

"Hey!" Junpei shouted, running after with Fuuka. "Wait for us!"

* * *

When we got down to the foyer, Mitsuru's bike was smashed, and Yukari was on the ground. I ran to her and checked that she was alright. She groaned, but seemed okay and let me pull her up, then I looked at the Shadows.

"What in the world?" Fuuka shouted.

She was right to shout. Empress was some huge blue fat woman thing with a pointy stick, and the Emperor was a huge, cumbersome suit of armour holding a huge claymore in one hand and an angry Mitsuru in the other.

"There's two!" Akihiko shouted. "MITSURU!"

"Ah… Ugh…" Mitsuru groaned. It almost looked like the Emperor was crushing her _slowly_.

"What's going on?" Yukari grunted, clutching an Evoker, her entire body shaking.

Wait, how did she have an Evoker? I looked at the smashed Bike.

Ah, like how Cloud's bike has swords… I looked back at the Shadows.

Aaand now they've noticed me.

Then they noticed someone else - Natsuki. "Why the hell is she here?" Junpei shouted, voicing my surprise.

She looked like a zombie. "F-Fuuka…" She said, falling to her knees.

"Moriyama-San?" Fuuka ran to her.

_"That's how you look when you're alone."_ Time and place Pharos, this is neither.

"Wait!" Akihiko shouted. "What are you doing?"

Fuuka knelt down in front of the girl who bullied her. "Please, get out of here!" She pleaded, "It's dangerous!"

Holy crap, can someone that isn't Jesus actually be that forgiving?

"I…I wanted to tell you…" Natsuki stammered, "I'm sorry…"

Fuuka was surprised. Emperor, on the other hand, moved in to attack. Fuuka stood up and cocked her Evoker.

"Wait!" Akihiko warned. "That's not a weapon!"

_~ I know… ~_

Fuuka's voice didn't come in through my ears, but the gunshot from her Evoker did, just as the Emperor swung its blade.

* * *

Her Persona looked like a woman in a huge ballgown. Its head was bandaged, her face red. Fuuka and Natsuki were inside the ballgown itself, which looked like it was a crystal ball filled with water.

What really surprised me was how easily it deflected the huge weapon, so much that it sent the Emperor flying back into the Empress, dropping the sword and Mitsuru, who was caught by Akihiko's heroism.

"I'm alright…" Mitsuru said, pushing herself off him. "Be careful, normal attacks won't work on these Shadows… and all of our instruments have been destroyed…"

"Just stay still!" Akihiko warned her, healing the damage with some Dia. "Besides…"

_~ I can see… ~_

"Is that the voice?" Mitsuru asked.

_~ I… I can see these monster's weaknesses, somehow… ~_ Fuuka told us telepathically. Her voice wasn't tinny, like Mitsuru's was over the communications device. It sounded like she was underwater, and it went straight into my brain.

I pulled out my ear piece and tore off my mic as Junpei expressed his disbelief in a Junpei-esqe manner.

"Mitsuru!" Akihiko said, grinning. "Let her take your place."

"I get it now…" She said. "Yamagishi, can you assist the others?"

_~ I'll do my best! ~_

"Stay back." I said, standing up while pocketing Yukari's Evoker so she couldn't get involved in her state. Physically, she's fine, but she's in an absolute panic. "We'll handle this."

_~ I'll try and find out the enemy's weaknesses. ~_ Fuuka told us as Junpei and Akihiko ran forward. _~ Just let me know when! ~_

"How's now?" I dragged a couple of scimitars from the scroll and shoved them in my belt behind me, then tossed the scroll behind me after pulling out a warscythe.

_~ On It. ~_ Fuuka told me as the Shadow's got to their feet.

_"You love weaponised overkill don't you?"_ Pharos asked as I charged.

Who doesn't? I glanced to my left to see Akihiko, then looked right to see Junpei. Thunder filled Akihiko's fists, and flames rang up Junpei's sword. Switching to Pale Rider, I charged my Warscythe with darkness for an instant kill.

_~ That won't work. ~_ Fuuka told me. _~ The Empress can only be hurt by physical attacks, and only elemental skills will work on the Emperor. Light or Dark won't work on either, but you can't use both magic and weapons on either of them! ~_

_Can you feel life moving through your mind?_

"Thanks Fuuka. You guys Magic the hell out Emperor!" I ordered, charging for the Empress.

_Ooh, looks like you came back for more!_

It swung its wand as I jumped up to stab my lance into the lock in its chest

_Can you feel time slipping down your spine?_

It stuck, so I swung round on it and kicked it in the fleshy chest above its iron armour

_Ooh, you trying to try to ignore! _

It fell down to the ground with the Emperor. _~ Great work, guys! ~_

_But you can hardly swallow!_

I kicked the warscythe, breaking the lock.

_Your fears and pains!  
_

I was knocked off her by the surge of fat.

_When you can't help but follow!_

I got up to my feet, spinning the scimitars in hand.

_And puts you right back where you ca-ame!_

I stabbed down into its stomach.

_Live and Learn!_

It screamed.

_Hanging on the edge of tomorrow!_

I twisted to widen the wound.

_Live and Learn!_

It didn't work.

_On the words of yesterday!_

The fat had already closed around the blades.

_Live and Learn!_

It rose to its feet, knocking me back.

_If you beg or if you borrow,_

I charged my fist with a Getsu-ei

_Live and Learn!_

Plunging it into the Empresses belly;

_You may never find your way!_

It exploded in a mass of Ichor.

"Alright!" Junpei shouted. I looked over to see him Hi-five Akihiko over a ripped to pieces Emperor. "We kicked ass!"

"Too right!" he shouted.

_~ Look out! ~_ Fuuka warned us. _~ They're changing their weaknesses! ~_ Oh, what? I groaned as the Emperor groaned to its feet, glowing slightly.

WHAM! I was knocked flying. The Empress just flung me aside as it crawled for the Emperor.

Wait, do the Arcana Shadow's have feelings?

The Empress shoved its head into the Emperor's broken armour. The Emperor began to scream and flung around wildly, but the Empress just ignored it.

_~ It's eating it! The Empress is eating the Emperor! ~_ Guess not then.

"What!" Junpei shouted, scrambling to his feet. "Okay, we are so gonna kill that—" WHAM! The Empress charged straight through him and scrambled up the stairs. For a fat thing, it could run.

"Come on!" I shouted, running after it.

* * *

A few floors into Thebel, I'd lost it.

_~ Behind you! ~_ Fuuka shouted. I twisted around, Evoker to my head as it crawled around the corner.

"What's it weak against?"

_~ It isn't! ~_ Fuuka said. _~ Neither physical nor magic attacks will work! It must be because it ate the other one! ~_

Crap. I need a plan.

…

Okay, I need a new plan. Men in Black did not end pretty.

_"Do you have a choice?"_

I have a Megido gem. That'll work.

_"It won't kill it though."_

Damn… I twisted around the corner to see Empress slumped on the stairs.

Eating Mayas.

New plan arrived.

I grabbed a Cowardly Maya and ran straight at the Empress. Shoving the Megido gem into the Maya's hands, I threw it at the obese Shadow.

Empress ignored it, jumping straight for me, grabbing me in one hand, pinning my arms to my ribs and lifting me up in the air.

Not good.

I still had my Evoker, but since my arm was clamped to my sides… yeah.

And mouth's shouldn't open like that.

* * *

It ate me.

Great.

…

Just lovely.

So, now I'm covered in ick, in the pitch black, slowly getting digested. This is worse than that time when… when…

I scratched my head. My hand was oversized and gray.

Oh, so my soul is being digested and I'll be crapped out as a Shadow?

I am not having that. Evoker. Head. Click.

* * *

**BLAM**

Genbu got me out of there faster than anything other than a turtle bigger than the stomach it was inside could. It must have looked awesome from the outside.

For the record, getting backstage seats to a gut busting explosion is not a good idea. You get covered is so much ew it's unreal.

"_scree…_"

Holy crap, it's still alive? I grabbed the Megido gem from the floor and held it towards the writhing head.

"Stay down." I told it, smashing the gem in my fist. "Stay dead."

There was a gorgeous purple-gold explosion, much nicer than the black and red one I was just in. It eradicated any trace of the Shadow that wasn't on me or the walls.

"_scree..._"

Great.

I turned around to find the Emperor mask laying in a pool of gruesome next to its girlfriend.

I grabbed a loose stone from the floor that had been dislodged from the action and smashed the two masks in.

Panting heavily, I wiped ichor from my eyes and glanced to the side to see Junpei and Akihiko finally catch up with me.

"Dude..." Junpei gasped eloquently.

"Nice job," Akihiko grinned, eyeing the damage around me.

I just shrugged. Now to find a Shower Gem.

* * *

I trudged after Junpei and Akihiko through the clock face after checking my itinerary. My Leatherman was thankfully okay, and the scroll casings were waterproof, so they were okay.

My Evoker, on the other hand, was shot, most likely my MP3 player was too.

Thankfully, I made the wise decision of leaving my mobile at home. Other than that, I looked like a melting Shadow version of me, so I wiped my face and took off my jacket on the way back so I at least _resembled _human.

I'm not sure I had to bother though, because when I got down, everyone was focused on Natsuki, who was sobbing over an unconscious Fuuka. "I'm so sorry…" She kept saying. I think she's had sufficient punishment.

Like I said, female bullying is psychological and emotional. She must have been through hell this past week in that manner.

Looking down at Fuuka though, I'm surprised that she was of so much help. She gave responses much faster than Mitsuru did, and even gave decent tactical advice. She was someone who took information, thought it through, and gave us what we needed. She will be a big help knocking down monsters.

Yes, Will. From the way she carried herself tonight and how useful she was, she's gonna join us. And if she doesn't want to, I'll convince her to want to.

I am _not_ losing that kind of powerhouse.


	27. Rebuild 027

I woke up in the middle of the night with a hand covering my mouth.

Now, this isn't the first time this had happened to me, so I knew where to punch.

Sadly, I might have broken my fingers on his nose. Repel Strike?

"Quiet!" the man hissed at me.

Good point, wouldn't want to wake up the boxer and swordsman that live in the rooms next to me, would we? Dumbass. You just earned yourself a biting.

"It's alright." Elizabeth said in an assuring voice. "We're here to help you."

I nodded, and the guy took his hand off my mouth. I recognised him now as Theodore, from the Velvet Room. I looked around. It wasn't the Dark Hour, I was in my room, and there was no Pharos. "What's going on?"

Theo grabbed my left wrist and pulled the sleeve up. "It's worse than we thought…" he said.

"What is?" I looked at my blackened arm.

Ah, that's not a good thing. I thought I just stained my skin, but I don't have fingernails anymore.

"Your arm is infected, and you're changing into a Shadow." Elizabeth said with urgency. What, what? "Thankfully, we got here fast enough so we can save your life." How, I wondered, as Theodore pinned me down.

"What's the plan?" I asked.

"We need to destroy your arm." Elizabeth said.

...What?

"You look awfully calm about it." Theodore noted.

"Calm? CALM? HOW THE BLOODY HELL CAN I BE CALM?" I shouted, twisting in his grip and fighting like hell.

"Please, don't resist!" Elizabeth hissed as Theo pinned my legs down with his. "It's for your own good!"

I sent a lightning bolt into Theo's arm and he lost my grip, giving me room to shove a thumb in his eyeball and bite his other arm.

Then he headbutted me.

* * *

I woke up with a sweat, panting for breath.

Bugger me... I'm exhausted...

Must be because of that nightmare.

"It wasn't a nightmare." Pharos said wearily.

He looked even worse than I felt.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You went to sleep with a shirt on, remember?"

I looked down at my bare torso. Suspicious. I looked at my left arm. Phew it was there, normal skin colour. Everything fine…

Wait, no it isn't. I do not have a tattoo on my left arm.

It circled around the middle of my bicep and around the triceps. It looked kinda like a smaller version of Scar's arm tattoo, only slightly less evil, but just as weird. Actually, on closer inspection…

"It's a seal." Pharos told me. Man, he really looked out of it. "They put that on you before chopping your arm off above the infection. Then they Hama'd the hell out of the arm and did something to regrow it."

Seriously? Was their luck that bad that they kept missing?

Doubt it. Was the Shadow so strong that they needed to keep ramming it in?

Hm, I'm gonna have to learn to see if I can use Hama and Mudo for more than just oneshotting peoples...

"You alright Pharos?" I asked, getting concerned. "You look knackered."

He nodded. "Yeah… it's just that they then purged you for any further infection…" he said. "They said that they couldn't get any more out of you than they did, but there may be side affects…"

"Did it get you?" I asked him.

"I'm okay…" Pharos repeated. "It's just that… I'm…"

"Tired?" I asked. Pharos nodded. "Same here."

I looked at the Tattoo again. It was only a couple of centimetres thick, but I'm still not happy about it. "I'll ask Igor about it this afternoon." I decided, rolling back under the covers.

"What, you're not going to school?" Pharos asked.

"Need sleep."

* * *

Both Junpei and Yukari came in to try to get me out of bed, but I just rolled over again in my covers.

"Minato, we've got to leave." Yukari said, shaking my shoulder lightly.

Question time: What is the Japanese word for: _'Due to the strenuous events that occurred to me personally during the previous night, I have deemed an extended period of rest appropriate, effective immediately.'_

"Muh..." I decided to grunt.

"Dude, we're gonna miss the train!" Junpei complained.

"MUH!" Which of course meant: _I didn't see YOU get eaten and/or mutated last night!_

They eventually got the hint, and let me skive.

Hey, I more than deserved it.

* * *

...

I lost my arm last night.

People actually came into my room and tore my left arm off and replaced it with one just like it, but with a Tattoo.

...

Haven't they heard of George Cairns?

Don't they know that the British keep their sanity in their left hands?

Chopping them off turns us into killing machines that won't stop the slaughter until we run out of murder fuel.

Blood, I think they call it.

...

* * *

Ramen for breakfast is great. Especially if breakfast is at one in the afternoon and you're skiving off school.

I went into the Velvet room in casual clothes.

Hey, if you're skiving for the whole day, you do not do it in school uniform.

Especially if said uniform is covered in monster blood.

* * *

"Welcome to the Velvet Room." An older blonde woman said to me as I entered.

"Where's Elizabeth?" I asked her.

"She's unavailable today." she explained. "My name is Margaret. Right this way, sir."

She led me to Igor. I sat down opposite him.

"It's good to see you again." He told me. "I trust you are pleased with your recent victory?"

Cutting to the chase, I rolled up my sleeve and plonked my left arm on the table. "What is this?" I demanded.

Glancing at it, Igor smiled. "Ah yes. Unfortunately, while you were inside the Empress, it appears you picked up something unwanted." Igor looked at me. "That is why I sent Elizabeth and Theodore to assist you."

"Assist me?" I asked. "They bloody chopped off my bleedin' arm!"

"I understand your dismay, but it had to be done." Igor said, shaking his head. "What happened there was not a result of your prerogative. However, it would have slowly consumed your mind, inhibiting your ability to make decisions, and would have ultimately prevented you from accomplishing your goal."

That's a half-assed explanation. At best.

Igor waved his hand slightly. "There may still be a few effects, but that seal is what allowed you to remain alive during the operation, and to prevent the Shadow's influence from reaching your mind."

"So, do I still need it, or can I get this lasered?" I asked. Having a badass tattoo was not always good when you didn't ask for it.

"I… would not recommend it." Igor replied. "Unfortunately, some of the Shadow's ichor has reached your bloodstream. While we did remove most of it, there are still a few drops of the fluid, diluting your blood as we speak."

"…that's not good…"

"Indeed it is not." he said. "However, that seal will weaken its affect as it flows through your body, protecting you mentally, and physically."

"I see." I sighed. Looks like I'm gonna have to buy some elbow length T-shirts then if I want to hide this… Probably violates some school rules or something. "Thanks Igor."

"Anytime." He said. "But until then…"

"Farewell." I said, stealing the words from his mouth as I rose from my seat. I heard him chuckle as I left the room.

* * *

"So, what is it?" Pharos asked.

"Some kind of seal that's stopping me from turning evil or something." I told Pharos as I left the alley. "While I'm here, I might as well visit the shop again."

"That's a good plan." Pharos nodded. "You need more explosives."

And Pharos has officially become my disciple. There will be carnage.

* * *

When I walked into the police department, there was some police guy on the desk. Suddenly I recognised him as the officer from the other day.

"Hey, just thought we'd let you know that Yamagishi has showed up." He told me.

"That's great!" I said.

"Yeah, but shouldn't you be in school?"

"I felt ill this morning." I said. "By noon I felt fine, but if I go into school now, they'll just assume I was skiving."

The officer laughed. "Yeah, teachers are assholes like that." he chuckled, before turning to business. "Anything you want?"

"Yeah, is Officer Kurosawa here?" I asked.

"Hold on," He replied, "I'll go check."

* * *

He ran into the back. A minute or so later, Kurosawa showed up.

"Hey, what do you need?" The sternfaced cop asked.

I checked my list. "I need some more C-4."

He raised an eyebrow. "Used it all?" he asked, wondering about the lack of explosions reported.

I nodded. "It was really useful, but I need more." I explained. "I also broke the Warscythe I bought."

He sighed. "Well, I'll drop it off at the dorm later. Anything else?"

I was about to say no, but then I got a thought. "Got any under armour?"

* * *

Few minutes and a few grand later, I was walking out of there wearing an army issue power vest thingy. It was basically a T-shirt that clung to you like a wetsuit, only it protected against small calibre bullets, heat, cold, electricity, glancing knife blows, and other stuff. Best of all? The shoulders didn't flap, and it looked like a normal, if tight, T-shirt.

I bought four.

When I got back to the dorm, it was still empty, so I made myself useful and tried to fix the surveillance system that Mitsuru kept going on about.

By the time Junpei and Yukari got home, I'd fixed it.

I'd fixed it _good_.

There was some glitch that made random segments of video footage save files onto the unit, but I couldn't sort it out, so I locked it off instead. Mind you, the footage of Ikutsuki actually sitting down to write jokes was worth watching, so I made a back door. You know, just in case anything else shows up.

Hey, I just got my arm cut off and regrew it in one night. After getting eaten. I deserve this. Hell, it's probably the universes way of compensating for the crap I went through last night.

Karma, that's it.

"Hey, there you are!" Yukari said as she poked through the door. "How're you feeling?"

"Fine." I said, swivelling away from the monitor. "I got bored, so I fixed that glitch Mitsuru was going on about."

"Oh, that's good." Yukari seemed relieved. "Anyway, Mitsuru-senpai and Akihiko-senpai went to the hospital to see Fuuka today."

"That's good." I replied. "I hope she's doing okay."

"Yeah…" Yukari asked, sitting down on the couch. Something was on her mind. "Hey, I was thinking…" She began. "Do you think Mitsuru-senpai saved Fuuka because it was the right thing to do?" she asked, "Or was it because she's a Persona user and we need her?"

Tough question. I didn't answer it, choosing to look at the carpet instead.

Hey, I never noticed that there's a swirl pattern in this!

"You think so too?" Yukari asked, taking my silence as an answer, "Well, whether she joins or not is up to her…" She looked at the carpet as well. "Sorry to bring this up out of the blue."

"Anytime." I told her, smiling.

* * *

Next day, Wednesday, I helped Yuko train those kids again. I had to admit, they were improving.

I was more concerned about Fuuka though. She and Natsuki were still in the hospital. I'm still pretty damned sure that Natsuki won't revert back to how she was, but from what I can gather, she'll probably lose her memories of Fuuka saving her.

What I want to know is whether or not her emotions from that time will remain…

If Yuko noticed my attention was elsewhere, she didn't say anything.

...

Damn, and with Mitsuru at the hospital all the time, I can't even go on patrol tonight.

* * *

Thursday was my first actual 'date' with Chihiro. Naturally, we went to Bookworms. While she was distracted by the books, Bunkichi collared me.

"I've got some good news for you Minato-chan!" He told me with conspiratorial excitement. "It's about a customer who came by earlier. Guess who it was!"

"You gotta give me a hint." I sighed.

"I was going to." Bunkichi laughed. "It's 'Signature'."

"One of my many fans?" I smirked.

Bunkichi chuckled. "No, it's—"

"One of your many fans?" I smirked wider.

Bunkichi laughed. "I wish! It was actually one of the organisers for the campaign to save the tree!"

"That's wonderful!" I beamed. Well, that's a weight off my chest – no wonder he looks so lively today!

Bunkichi nodded. "He said, 'let's protect the tree together!', AND he'd gotten lots of signatures from students who were in my son's class!"

"Sweet!" I said, keeping my voice low. "So, what now?"

"What do you think?" Bunkichi chuckled. "I'm going to the school to tell my son the good news!"

"I'll stay here." I told him.

Bunkichi shook his head. "This was all your doing, Minato-chan, you _have_ to come!"

I gestured behind me to Chihiro and mouthed the words _Date._

Bunkichi looked behind me and smiled. "Ooh, that's a nice girl you got there, Minato-chan." He winked, then whispered into my ear conspiratorially "And a very nice behind too."

I slapped him on the shoulder jokingly, and Bunkichi hooted. "Well, you look after her. I'm to see my son. Make sure you say hi next time you get the chance!"

I nodded. "Will do."

**SMASH**

_Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Hierophant Arcana_

I smiled as Bunkichi hobbled out of the door. Then I walked back to Chihiro. "Find anything good?" I asked.

She span round. "I've been dying to read this!" Woah, her eyes were sparkly. "This is a collection of illustrations from the Shoujo Manga I read! It even has short stories inside!" She looked around. "I never expected it to be here… maybe the shop owner made a mistake."

"That sounds like Bunkichi…" I agreed. The old man was as senile as a duck, bless him.

Chihiro looked at her find. "They have all three volumes… this is amazing! But each volume is 6000 yen, so that means…" He voice trailed off.

"18000 yen?" I offered.

Her heart sank. "What do I do..?"

I remembered that she didn't have much money, but she'd probably be insulted if I offered to buy it for her. "Is it good?" I asked instead.

"Of course!" She almost squealed. "All three volumes are really great! The characters look so real, it's like they really exist!" She sighed. "But my monthly allowance is 5000 yen… so even if I used my lunch money… No!" She had a determined look on her face. "I'll get them no matter what! By next month… wait… by the time I graduate!"

"Fair enough." I took the books off her and took them to the desk. "Mitsuko, please can you reserve these for Chihiro-san for me? Just so nobody buys them while she's saving up?"

Mitsuko smiled. "Of course dearie." In a lower voice, she added "That was surprisingly gentleman like of you. Most men would have just bought it for her."

"What," I whispered, "After she's just decided to save up herself? That would just ruin it for her."

"You're a good one, Minato-chan." She smiled. Looking at Chihiro, she added. "Just let me know when you want these!"

"Um… Thank you!" Chihiro said, bowing as I walked up to her.

**SMASH**

_Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Justice Arcana._

My phone started buzzing. Opening it, I got an email from Akihiko.

=[ _Fka rlzd frm hsptl. Tlk 2 r 2nite, cm 2 cmmd rm whn u gt bk. _]=

I had prepared for this, but preparations still had to be made. "Erm… I gotta go." I explained to Chihiro. "Akihiko-senpai is organising something back at the dorm, and he needs my help."

"Oh… okay…" She seemed a bit down. "I- I'll see you tomorrow Senpai!"

I waved goodbye to her and ran home.

* * *

A few hours later, Fuuka was in the command room. I was keeping a close eye on the time. I needed to get this just right.

Once the introductions had been made, Ikutsuki started the debriefing.

"Everyone, you did an excellent job uncovering the truth." he said. "I also wanted you to know…" Ikutsuki paused for suspense. "All three girls have regained consciousness."

Fuuka sighed with relief. "What a relief." She said.

Ikutsuki nodded. "From what I understand, they each came to school around midnight and waited for the security guard to leave. They were attacked by Shadows near the gate, as the dark hour began…" Ikutsuki looked at us from over his glasses. "However. The facts became twisted because of rumours concerning a ghost story." He said.

Yukari looked smug. "I knew right from the beginning that it wasn't a ghost."

Fuuka, however, looked… ashamed? "This is my fault…" She said.

"Are you kidding?" Yukari was as a surprised as I was. "You were the victim!"

"But, I made everyone worry!" Fuuka protested.

"Hey, don't think like that…" Yukari told her. My phone buzzed as Mitsuru stood up.

"Excuse me." I said, rushing out the door, turning off the alarm. I closed the door behind me and I ran down the stairs to the kitchen. This shall be awesome.

* * *

I was back up the stairs within three minutes, carrying my load. I put my ear to the door to hear what was going on, just to see if I could maximise my timing.

"We'll have the school talk to your parents to resolve any issues." Mitsuru said gratefully.

"Thank you." Fuuka said. She sounded happy, and it appears that she was joining us.

That's my cue. I pushed the door open with my backside.

"This calls for cake!" I said, holding up a freshly baked Quadruple Chocolate Cake I'd spent all afternoon making.

Everyone looked at me in sheer disbelief as I put the cake onto the table next to the steel briefcase. "What?" I asked. "Not a good time?" I cut a slice and put it on a plate, offering it to anybody who wanted it. "But every time is a good time for cake!"

"Eeeyoink!" Junpei shouted, swiping it out of my hands, biting into it happily. "MMM! Ris ish rud!" He said happily through a mouthful of cake. That got everyone laughing, so I got back to work dishing it up.

What? You think baking a cake for a new member of the group makes me look less manly?

Well, that's fine with me. You have your opinion, and I'll have this delicious cake that is most certainly not a lie.

Never underestimate the power of QCC.

* * *

"Now then." Ikutsuki announced once everyone was enjoying their cake. "Those special Shadows came around again… We still don't know where they're coming from, but Akihiko and Minato are right about one thing." The light hit his glasses, making him look all mysterious. "Their appearance seems to coincide with the full moon. We'll take that into consideration for now."

"So…" Junpei began, chocolate all over his face, "They're kinda like werewolves then?"

"Well, they're clearly lunatic, if that's what you mean," I said. Junpei blinked at me, confused. "You know, they revolve around the lunar cycle?" Apparently that's _not_ what he meant.

"It's a big advantage for us to know when to expect them." Akihiko said over the top of us. "Now, on the day of the fight, we'll be ready to get into the ring!"

* * *

We stayed pretty late, and I ended up being the one to take Fuuka home since the trip back would be in the Dark Hour and Shadow's would be involved.

Win win for everyone, as far as I care.

"Um… Minato-kun?" Fuuka asked me.

"Just call me Minato." I told her. "Not Japanese, so it's easier for me."

"Oh!" Fuuka seemed surprised. "Um… Well, please, if it's not too much trouble…" I looked at her expectantly, not surprised at her shyness considering how badly she had been bullied. "Erm... may… I have the… recipe? For the cake?"

That's it? "Hey, if you're going to move in with us, I might as well teach you how to do it myself!" I smiled at her. "Course it isn't any trouble! I'd be happy to!"

"Oh!" she gasped. "Um… Thank you… Um... Minato…?"

"Yeah?"

"Um…" she hesitated. "Do you enjoy cooking then?"

"Love it." I did, so long as it was Man cooking. All focus goes into the taste; we don't care about making food look pretty, so long as it looks edible. "You?"

"Oh… I'm learning…" she said. "But… it's not going so well…"

"I'll teach you then!" I smiled at her. "I like to cook my own meals as it is, so I might as well help a friend out along the way!"

Fuuka looked surprised. "Thank You, Minato."

**SMASH**

Wait, what?

_Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Priestess Arcana…_

"This is my house…" Fuuka said. "I'll see you later!" She said, waving as she climbed the stairs.

"Yeah, see you…" I just managed to make those words I was so shocked.

I can make Social Links with other Persona Users?

That's...

What?

...

_WHAT?_

...

**What.**


	28. Rebuild 028

I was sitting in my room doing my report for Tanaka when my phone rang.

Yukari.

Sweetness.

"Hey." I said, picking up the phone.

_\_ "Uh, hello?" _\_

"Hey." I repeated.

_\_ "Wait, what's the meaning of this!" _\_

Woah, she sounds mad. "The… meaning of what?"

_\_ "I was just talking to Fuuka in the lounge about Sunday plans, when she mentioned how she was going to do her best cooking with you!" _\_

"Is that… So..?" I'm confused. What've I done wrong? I kept my voice uncertain, just to be safe.

_\_ "You specifically promised that we were going out on Sunday, didn't you?" _\_ Wait, what? _\_ "But if you were going out with Fuuka… no-one would say anything… right?" _\_

Oh shit. "Wait, this is-!"

_\_ "So who was tricked?" _\_ Yukari stabbed, cutting me off my defence. _\_ "Fuuka? Or me?" _\_

Oh shit.

_\_ "And more importantly, how am I supposed to face Fuuka now?" _\_

Bloody hell, I could really feel the disgust in her voice. _\_ "Of all things… two timing in this dorm…" _\_

"Wait, I can-"

_\_"I won't listen to any of your excuses!" _\_ Yukari shouted over me. _\_ "In fact… I don't even want to see you any more…" _\_

"Wait, YUKARI-!"

She hung up.

I slumped back onto the bed.

What the hell?

Then my phone rang again.

Fuuka? Oh great… is this gonna be more of the same?

I didn't have much choice. I answered it. "…Hello?"

_\_ "Um… It's… SNIFF… Ya-Yamagishi…" _\_ Oh crap, is she crying?

Shit. "Hey, are you alright?" I asked her.

_\_ "Um… It's… it's about Sunday…" _\_ Oh hell… _\_ "Maybe… we should cook together… another day…" _\_

Huh?

_\_ "It's… just that… I was…Kirijo-senpai…" _\_ Wait, what does Mitsuru have to do with this? _\_ "She… She was saying how… she was… SNIFF… looking forward to watching a… movie with you… on Sunday…" _\_

Wait, WHAT? _\_ "Kirijo-senpai… she…" _\_ Fuuka continued. _\_ "She looked really happy…" _\_

Oh man… no wonder Fuuka sounded so heartbroken… wait, why was she heartbroken? Disappointed, sure, but Heartbroken?

_\_ "It's alright." _\_ Fuuka said to my astonished silence. _\_ "I… I won't tell Senpai so…" _\_ I could feel Fuuka smile through her tears on the other side of the phone, _\_ "Have a great time… Really." _\_

"Wait, Fuuka-!"

_\_ "It's okay…" _\_ Fuuka stopped me. _\_ "I'm fine… really… I… I just hope that… Senpai… won't… feel the way I do right now!" _\_she finished, hanging up, crying.

...

Bollocks…

It's been a while since I've felt this bad.

I snapped out of it when the phone rang again.

Mitsuru.

Bugger…

"He-Hello..?" I asked, wincing before the conversation started.

_\_ "It is me." _\_ Mitsuru said simply. _\_ "**EXECUTION!**" _\_ I jumped, almost dropping the phone. _\_ "That is all…" _\_

"Wait, WHAT?" I shouted, fumbling the phone back into position.

_\_ "How else do you propose I deliver your punishment?" _\_ Mitsuru accused. _\_ "IS DEATH NOT GOOD ENOUGH?" _\_

"Ah, No! I- I Just-!"

_\_ "Allow me to explain your crimes." _\_ Mitsuru said, talking over my pleas of innocence. _\_ "As I was speaking to Chihiro about Sunday plans…" _\_ Oh damn and blast _\_ "She mentioned how she was going to go shopping for books with you on Sunday. THIS Sunday, in fact." _\_ Anger's rising in her calm voice. She's borderline Tranquil Fury. _\_ "This special Sunday that we have been waiting for for weeks now…  
_\_ "Apparently seeing a movie with me was at the same level of importance to you as buying a train ticket." _\_

"N-NO!" I shouted into the phone, wondering why the hell my brain wasn't giving a way out of this mess. "I- I-!"

_\_ "Don't misunderstand." _\_ she said. _\_ "I did not call you to listen to your excuses. I only came to inform you about your sentence. Sit and think upon your crimes. That is my only condition." _\_

"Wait, MITSURU! I-!"

I shut my mouth.

She hung up.

I hit the disconnect button and had to keep myself from throwing the phone across the room.

They're acting like I killed their brother or something...

Dammit, if Chihiro calls about Yuko now, I'll…

KNOCK KNOCK.

Huh?

"It is Aegis." a familiar voice said. Who the hell is Aegis?

The door opened, and she walked in.

It's her.

It's that girl from when my parents died.

"I have just been monitoring the emotional levels of members in the dorm." She said, raising a finger. "It was a scene of carnage!"

Screw that, I want answers!

She pointed said finger at me. "The expected amount of damage that you will cause in human relationships is not good. Therefore!" She pointed all of her fingers at me.

Her fingertips opened up to show gun muzzles.

Wait, is she-?

"I WILL REMOVE YOU!" She fired.

BULLETS ARE FLYING AT MY FACE!

* * *

"AH!" I shot up in my bed, covered in sweat. I checked my phone for the last numbers to call me. Akihiko… Chihiro… Akihiko… Yukari… Good, it was a dream… I flopped back onto the bed. Just… a nightmare...

Not the worst nightmare I've had. Lately. But certainly the least explainable.

Why did I think of _that_ girl now?

I shot up again.

Dreams are about the subconscious right? So if that girl's showed up in my dreams, then she's probably been around, I just haven't noticed her...

No, I'd have noticed her. Most likely all this Dark Hour bullshit is screwing with my head. Again.

Sigh.

I opened my laptop and did some work on that report for Tanaka before getting ready for school, since I'm up early. And I already knew half of what I was gonna write, thanks to the nightmare.

Hooray for mental scars!

* * *

I ended up walking to School with Yukari. Hey, we live together, so even if I get caught, I can easily explain my way out of it without hurting either party.

So why do I feel so guilty?

Ah, right. Nightmare.

"So… what do you think of Fuuka?" Yukari asked me.

"She's extremely helpful." I said. "As a Persona user, she'll be an invaluable asset in battle. The way she gave support, she…" I shrugged. "She's leagues ahead of Mitsuru in analysis and support, though I'm guessing you were asking what I thought of her as a person?"

Yukari smiled. "That too."

I took a swig of my orange juice. "She's got no self esteem." I told her. "From what I can gather from talking to her and how willing she was to move in with us, she's got trouble at home. Oh, not abuse or anything!" I added, noticing Yukari's expression, "But I do think something's not right. It doesn't fit with divorce…" I ran a few simulations in my head. "So I'm guessing either loveless marriage or her parents have an inferiority complex or something similar."

"You think so?" Yukari was surprised. I nodded.

"School starts in September back in England, so I had a few months to use before coming here." I explained, even though I dropped out in February. "I used it to learn some analytical psychology. Done all the coursework, but not the exam." I explained.

"Anyway," I said, changing the subject back to our original topic. "What ever it was, Fuuka developed some kind personality issue, which gave Natsuki and her friends an opening to finish the job."

"You don't like bullying, do you?" She pointed out.

I shook my head. "I hate it." I said. "It goes more than just tormenting someone, but it even goes as far as to strip them of the will to fight back." I scowled. "Whether the bully's angry, jealous, racist, or just a plain jerkass, the fact remains that all you're doing is treating people like crap, to the extent that they start treating themselves as crap."

Yukari nodded. "I never thought of it that far, but you're right." she said. "Bullying's just wrong."

"Oh, schoolyard punchups are one thing." I responded. "Teasing, backbiting, tormenting, it's all in good fun and an important part of school life. I got into scraps with my best friends and questioned their sexuality and made innapropriate comments about their mothers all the time." Seeing Yukari's astonishment, I reminded her that "It's when they cross the line from building character to destroying it, that's when I usually step in."

"Hey, Minato-kun!"

Yukari looked behind us, so did I. "Hey Yuko-san!" Yukari waved back.

Okay, don't show any shame, fear or any hint that I'm trying to hide anything. Wait, why bother? Keep my hands in my pocket and my mouth shut and no-one knows what I'm thinking.

I did just that, after saying "Hey." as Yuko caught up to us.

"So… why're you guys walking together?" Yuko asked, looking slightly suspicious.

"We live together." Yukari explained. "Well, in the same dorm." shrug. "Since there's no archery club today, why not?"

Yuko nodded. "So, what're you talking about?"

Aaand time to steer. "You know Fuuka Yamagishi?" I asked her.

"Vaguely." Yuko nodded in confirmation.

"Well, she's moving into the dorm." I shrugged.

"Seriously?" Yuko replied, eyebrows shooting up. "But she lives in the city with her parents, doesn't she?"

"She said that she wanted to focus on her studies or something." I lied. "Since of what happened recently…"

"Oh yeah…" Yuko nodded. "So, what happened with that?"

"I'm not sure." I kept talking, prevent Yukari from saying anything. "I'll ask Mitsuru-senpai next time I see her." I'm a much better liar than Yukari, with all the practice I get.

Shame that she has to find out this way, but we can't have anyone getting suspicious about S.E.E.S.

That would be one of the things that would send my life down the slippery slope to hell.

Again.

And America has awful timing for the Dark Hour.

"Hey, how is Student Council going?" Yuko asked.

"Alright." I shrugged. "Hidetoshi is trying to find some guy who dropped a cigarette butt in the boys bathroom, and I volunteered to help him. However, I have no idea when I'll get dragged off on one of his escapades." I laughed, scratching the back of his head.

Yuko and Yukari laughed as well. "Yeah. That's true." Yukari added. Yep, I know that Yukari was getting excluded from this conversation, but it was getting dangerous. "Junpei's been complaining about him." Yukari continued. "He's been accused about five times!"

"I'm more accurate." I pointed out, shrugging. "But he's dedicated. It's kinda like playing good cop bad cop."

Yuko laughed a bit harder than Yukari, grabbing my shoulder. "Ah well." Yuko said. "You're still coming over on Wednesday, right?"

"Coming over?" Yukari asked.

"Yeah, wanna come?" I offered. I was about to explain about the kids, but I was drowned out by a

"NOOOOOO! IT'S! NOT! POSSIBLE!"

Rather distraught young chap. I'm gonna have to have a word with him at some point. Hey, he has a bike now.

CRASH!

Well, _Had _a bike.

"I'll go help him." I said, getting out of there as safe as I could. "See you later!"

"You alright?" I asked the guy once I reached him. Magician Arcana. SMASH.

"Ow…" The guy had brown hair that needed cutting. "Yeah, I'm fine…" He seemed to notice me then stand up, looking angry. "I don't need your help!"

He picked up his bike and ran off, jumping on it as he gained speed. Bit of a prick, I thought, but he most likely just has something against me.

Well, I can take him, so on to school.

* * *

I hung out with Bebe in the fashion club after school. I haven't introduced him to you yet, but he's a French guy who thinks he is a samurai, with a passion for fashion. I think he might be gay, but it's probably the English prejudice against those French pansies who can't even defend their own city in the middle of a war.

See what I mean? And I know, the French didn't have the resources to fight the Nazi's after the First World War and they fought like badasses with hundreds of underground revolutionary groups, and they conquered us once, but we never let them live it down.

I can't help it, I just consider all French people to be either pansies, hot maids, or badass butlers.

Hm, hot maids. Now there's a nice image.

"OW!" Bebe shoved his finger into his mouth. There was blood on the sewing machine needle and the fabric he was sewing.

He pricked his finger. He never pricks his finger

"You alright?" I asked him.

"Oui…" He said, "It's just a pin prick…"

"That's not what I meant." I said.

Bebe looked at me as I turned off my machine. "Something's bothering you." I pressed. Looking at his face, I could see all the sadness he was hiding. How the hell had I missed that until now?

Oh, right. French maids.

Hm… Hot maids…

NO! Deep breath, do not get sucked in by your imagination's incredible sexiness! Focus on the task at hand! "What's wrong?" I asked him.

"You can tell somezing eez wrong?" No, I am not translating a French accent. We were actually speaking in English.

In our conversations, we tend to fluctuate randomly between English, French and Japanese. I'm telling you, since I started hanging out with Bebe, my transitions between the three languages have become much smoother. It's like trading in a Manual Gearbox car for an Automatic. Easier, but I don't get as much control over which language I'm speaking.

On the bright side, my French is improving. Yay. Now if only I could find a German kid…

"Ja." I replied to Bebe. Wait, crap! "Yes." I said. Dammit Minato, focus and don't tempt fate…

Hm… Hot maids…

DAMMIT!

"Le vielle au soir…" Bebe said, now speaking in French. "My Dear Aunt…"

The Aunt who supported and paid for your exchange scholarship to Japan? "What happened?" I asked him.

"She… was taken away by ze angnes…" Agnes… Angels… taken away by the angels… oh.

"How did it happen?" I asked him.

"She… she 'ad a stroke… in her sleep…" Bebe began to cry. "Ze doctors said zat she went peacefully, but…"

"I'm so sorry…" I told him.

Bebe shook his head, drying his face. "Sorry, Gomenasai… I…" He took a deep breath, slipping into Japanese. "She was ze reason I was able to come to Japan…" He said. "And now… She 'as been taken away…" He stood up, steadying himself on the workbench. "She 'as helped me so much and I… I could not do anyzing for 'er!"

"Come here…" I said, giving him into a hug. Yeah, it's not the manliest thing in the world, but the poor guy needed one.

"I was 'olding zis inside…" he sobbed, "Because… I… SNIFF… I now zat crying will not 'elp!" No, it won't, but it'll make you feel better. It's the woman's version of digging a grave for her. "But… seeing ze look on your face… Minato-sama… I…" Man, he's well and truly devastated.

**SMASH**

_Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Temperance Arcana. _

While that ruined the moment, I'll admit that I deserved that one.

"Gomenasai… Sorry…" Bebe pushed away from me, slipping into English, "I can't work today…"

He grabbed his bag and walked towards the door, saying "Sayonara…" as he left.

I cleaned up everything and left to go back to the dorm.

* * *

"'Sup dude?" Junpei greeted me when I returned. The lounge was otherwise empty.

"Where is everyone?" I asked.

"Oh, they're getting Fuuka's room ready on the third floor." Second floor, dammit, we're on the ground floor right now! "No guys allowed," He explained. "It's cool though. I'm just glad she's coming."

"Me too." I said.

"Yeah, well, she'll be here tomorrow." Junpei replied as I walked towards the stairs. "I got dibs."

I stopped. Then I turned around. "Junpei. You can't call dibs on another human being."

"Ooh, so you want a piece of Fuuka too?" he grinned.

"No, but I'm pretty sure that she's not after a piece of Junpei either."

"That's for sure." Yukari came down the stairs in an apron. She had yellow paint on her face and her hair was in a ponytail. Damn, that looks hot. "Yuko seems pretty into you." Yukari commented to me. Dammit!

"Err, yeah, I guess." Phew, not committing myself to anything, not denying anything either. Safe in the gray! "Well, I'm off to bed. Night!"

"Night!" Yukari replied.

"Later dude!" Junpei waved.

* * *

I grabbed a Japanese version of a Fanta from the vending machine along the way. I opened it and took a decent gulp before I got to my bedroom door when Pharos started talking.

"You want her, don't you?" he asked.

"Bit of an odd question." I noted, unlocking my door. "What makes you say that?"

Pharos smiled. "It's obvious to anyone with eyes, especially if they're always watching you."

I grabbed my post up from the floor and lumped them with yesterday's mail as I walked in. "How so?" I asked.

"Please. You're more comfortable and honest with her than anyone except me, and perhaps those in the Velvet Room." I sat down on the bed, looking through my letters as he talked. "You don't try to steer her as you do with the people in your social links, you think of her first in a crisis," Bank statement, phone bill, pay check, letter from Escapade? "And when the Empress attacked earlier this week, she was the first one you ran to."

I froze, halfway through opening the envelope. "Is that so?" I asked.

Pharos nodded. "Speaking of which, you prevailed against her quite impressively." Pharos giggled. "But it's funny…"

"What is?" I asked, putting down the envelope.

"It doesn't seem so certain, considering the vast potential within you…" Pharos swivelled on the chair. "As a matter of fact, your power seems to have changed quite a bit since we first met."

It's changed a lot since I first awoke to the Dark Hour. I've gone from turning my emotions into black flames, which I've been doing since mum and dad died and I had to save Natalie and that blonde girl from that Death monster, to manipulating reality at will, to being able to use Personae to help control my emotions to best suit whoever I'm mani-talking to, I can use weakened versions of Persona skills without summoning, I'm gaining almost superhuman strength and agility through all the dark hour training and my Persona synchronisation, I've got eyes of the shinigami, and, most recently, I've now got this shadow blood thing, whatever that's gonna be like.

"Yeah…" I shrugged. "Yeah it has."

Pharos nodded. "I'm very curious about it." he admitted. "I have seen people with the Wild Card before, but you… you are something else…"

Hm? "You've seen people with the Wild Card before?" I asked.

"Yes…" he nodded. "I can't remember how, or who, or even where or when, but I do remember the existence of other people, gifted with the Wild Card. I remember all of them having vast potential, but you…" Pharos looked right at me. "It's almost like comparing a mere sea to sheer empty blackness of the heavens."

Woah, that was saying something.

**SMASH**

_Thou shalt have out blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Death Arcana_

"It's getting late." Pharos noted. "I'll leave you to get to sleep. See you tomorrow!" He said, walking through the door.

After a moment, I remembered myself and moved the letters to my bedside table.

It's been a long day. I'll read them tomorrow.

* * *

**-}+{-**

* * *

First off, I'm never going to do a female Protagonist Story.

Second, Casey W is the one writing the official Persona 4 sequel to this story. Check it out.

Third, I've updated the Author Note in the first chapter, so I'll reiterate my new point here. You should read this, it's important.

I wrote Fairly English Story back when I had no idea what I was doing. I was inexperienced, hasty, proud and, quite frankly, not as good as this story deserved me to be.

So, here is Rebuild of Fairly English Story.

It's simple. I'll be going over the early chapters in order and redoing them, correcting mistakes, installing new content, new jokes, extending fight scenes, more original scenes, more foreshadowing, and a generally better experience. All a new reader has to do is read this story up to however far it goes, then go to the next chapter in the main story.

The reason that I posted this as a separate story is so people can still read the original and watch how I develop as an author. However, if you want the best experience, you want to read the rebuilt chapters and then continue. I won't get very far with the rebuild, as my mission draws closer and closer, but if I can improve the story in any small way, then I will jump at the chance to do this.

**Now, this was my initial intention. And I wish I could have done that. But, instead, I didn't.**

**I couldn't. It's not in my nature. I can't just give the same-old. I cranked up the epic. Again.**

**If you're reading this for the first time, go read the original story first. Or ignore me and get a very different story than originally.**

**Fairly English Story was mostly lighthearted, a barrel of fun and epic in many shapes and forms. This is darker, more accurate, and shows a different light on previous events. This will have spoilers for the other version of the story, and vice-versa.**

Rebuild of Fairly English Story is going to be a completely different animal to Fairly English Story. I am serious about this.


	29. Rebuild 029

Saturday morning. Post. I read Escapade's letter first, that seemed interesting.

...

Ooh, they want me to perform for them in a rock-off on Sunday evening.

That's tomorrow? Seems like short notice but the letter's almost a week old. I'll drop by after school and tell them hell to the yeah.

Other stuff was pretty boring, so I checked my emails. Uncle Amos sent me an Email asking me when the summer holidays were. I replied, saying that I couldn't come over since stuff was happening over here, but we had a break from the 19th of July to the 23rd, then another one from the 26th of July to the first of September.

He must have been online at the time, because he replied within a minute, asking me how I was doing over here.

I told him the truth. I've always been pretty open with Uncle Amos, so I told him that I was doing well at school (very well), I was making friends (for great power), I'd gotten myself a part time job (earning more than he did per year), I wasn't getting into fights (three fights in three months is a record for me. Battles to the death with Shadows don't count), and I was keeping myself busy.

He mailed back quickly, asking me if I'd gotten around to getting myself a girlfriend yet.

Good question. See, I had a good thing going with Jessica, but it fell apart horribly when it did, and it took me a while to get going with her in the first place.

Mind you, I had to learn how to smile all by myself, only getting it right recently.

Anyway, I only had one girlfriend before coming to Japan, and now I'm stuck dating two girls, when I actually want to go out with someone else, who's friends with one of the girls I've some how ended up dating, and knows about that one girl, but not the other.

Yes, I fancy Yukari. A lot. I admit it, Pharos hit the nail on the head. Cookie for him.

Anyway, Amos was usually pretty decent about it, so I Emailed him about it, asking for advice, hoping none of my cousins saw that.

Yeah, I have cousins. Anne and Amos have four kids: a daughter my age, a younger son, and two nine year old twins: a boy and a girl.

Heh, little Mark and Emma were your standard little hell raisers from hell.

I got his reply. -_Enjoy it while you can. XD. But seriously, get the hell out of that ASAP_- Easier said than done. -_If you don't have the balls to do it now, then they'll tear off what little scrotum you keep in your short trousers later_- Amos always did have a certain way with words. -_Your old man learnt that the hard way, from what I heard at the wedding_-

That raises an interesting point. –_Who was the best man? I'll look him up_- I clicked send.

KNOCK KNOCK. "Arisoto, can I speak with you?"

Mitsuru.

-_GTG - _

"Sure Senpai." I said, closing the laptop and opening the door.

"I thought that you might have set off already." She said once I got outside into the corridor. "But regardless. Yamagishi will be living in the dorm with us, and starting tonight, she will be providing support for us in battle. So," Mitsuru flicked her hair. "I can rejoin the front line."

"I'm guessing that you still want me to lead?" I asked.

"You've been doing an excellent job so far." Mitsuru replied. "However, are you insinuating that I am unreliable?"

"Um… No?" I replied. Too early for manoeuvring around loaded questions.

"You'll regret saying that." Mitsuru stated. It wasn't a threat, more of a promise. "Even though I am a bit out of practice, I will soon return to my prior form."

"May I inquire about patrols?" I asked.

She raised an eyebrow. "What about them?"

"I feel that the strain of providing support on a nightly basis would be harmful to Fuuka, at least right now." I said. "May I ask you to continue providing support on nights that we don't go to Tartarus, at least until Fuuka adapts to the Dark Hour and is capable of doing this every night."

Mitsuru nodded. "Very well." she said. "I will continue to provide assistance from the dorms for you and Akihiko on your nightly rounds for the next month."

With that, she left.

Sighing, I grabbed my bag from my room and went to the kitchen to make my lunch.

* * *

After school I went straight to Escapade. "Hey, I'm here about the offer to let me on stage tomorrow?"

The bar wasn't open yet, but he let me in. "Great to see you." The manager said. "We're doing an instrumentalist night, and thought that you'd be interested."

"So, basically you want me to get on stage and show off?"

"Yes." He nodded. "We've also invited several other skilled guitarists from the area. The audience are hoping for some impressive guitar battles."

Wait, those actually happen? "How do those work?"

"It varies." he shrugged. "Sometimes it works like Horse, but you only get one letter, sometimes you switch doing an incredibly hard song, but normally the two guitarists just try to one up each other in improvised solo's. How good are you at that?"

I flashed a grin. "I spent a whole month learning how to do that perfectly." I said. "I'm in!"

"Great!" the manager pulled out a clip board. "Any stage name you want to use?"

I looked at the list. Kitsune, Sakaboto, KAOS, Kurikinton Fox… wait, I know that last one.

"I'll go for Orpheus." I said. I liked that name.

"Alright. See you tomorrow!"

"See ya!"

* * *

When I walked out of the club I heard a familiar voice. "I look forward to seeing you perform."

Twist. "Elizabeth?"

"At your service." She bowed, then looked around. "You know, ever since I came to your room, I've been curious about this world." She smiled. "I wonder if you could perhaps show me around this… mall?"

I checked the time. Well, school would be well and truly closed by now, so, why not?

"Alright." I said, putting my hands in my pockets. "What first?"

"Well, I am quite interested in this fountain…" she said as she walked over to the central fountain, me following. "It's said that you can purchase the fountain spirits favour by giving a monetary offering, in order to gain a wish…" She looked at me. "I assume that it works in a similar way to in the Velvet Room? The greater the wish, the higher the offering must be?"

"I… suppose so?" I asked. I never really thought about it. "I'm not sure if there are any spirits thought."

Elizabeth chuckled. "Oh, surely you jest." she said, pulling out a bulging purse."

Jest? "No, I'm being serious." I said.

"Very well, if that is what you wish to believe." she smiled, opening the purse. "Best play it on the safe side." she decided, then proceeded to TIP THE ENTIRE CONTENTS OF THE PURSE INTO THE BLOODY FOUNTAIN!

Holy crap that's a lot of money.

Holy crap that's a lot of money.

Holy crap that's a lot of money.

Holy crap, how much money is in that little purse?

She pulled the purse back and closed it. "There. One million of your one yen pieces." Holy crap that's six and a half grand. Eleven grand if you're American. "That should suffice." She said, before gasping.

"What is it?" I asked.

"In all the excitement, I forgot to make a wish!" she admitted.

…

Facepalm.

"I'm sorry." Elizabeth told me. "I will be more careful next time." She looked back at the fountain. "But it is a magnificent display of Man's arrogance."

"Whatcha mean?" I asked.

"Water is the elixir of life." Elizabeth explained. "Without it, plants would wither, animals would thirst, and aqueous beings would suffocate. Yet here, it is turned into a plaything for Man's amusement."

Huh. I never thought of it that way. Feels like Pale Rider all over again. Actually, _SMASH_

"No need to change Persona for me." Elizabeth said. "I am not one of your social links to manipulate so you can get closer to my heart."

"I wasn't trying to." I lied. "Just though I'd be able to see the world more through your eyes that way."

"Well, I suppose what is so fresh and new and… exciting for me may seem dull and mundane for you…" Elizabeth pondered. "I apologise."

"Not at all." I shrugged. I didn't even bother making facial expressions in front of someone from the Velvet Room. I didn't need to.

"Oh! Another fountain!" Elizabeth declared, running into the corner, and started pouring money in again.

I hope for her sake that she remembers to make a wish.

"Oh! Another fountain!" Elizabeth shouted, abandoning her current fountain and ran towards the one at the other side of the entrance.

Wow, she has a short attention span. I walked over to her in time to hear her say "A holy trinity of water spirits… could this mall actually be some kind of shrine?"

"If you're Dan Brown, maybe." I shrugged. Da Vinci code was fairly silly in my opinion. "I reckon that they just did it because three fountains look nice."

"Well, I suppose so." Elizabeth said, pocketing her purse. "Well, at least I remembered to make a wish this time."

Yay. "What was it?"

"I wished… to try Pheromone Coffee!"

…

Facepalm.

"Is something the matter?" Elizabeth asked.

"No… it's just…" I pocketed my hands again and looked at her. "You could have just asked me if you wanted to try that."

"Oh." Elizabeth said. "But I'm sure that the fountain spirits would also help me in my wish, and I so wanted to try out the ritual."

…

Sigh.

* * *

"See?" Elizabeth asked. "My wish was granted."

As you've probably guessed, we were sat in Chaghalls drinking coffee. While she was distracted, I got to business.

"So, what's with this Seal on my arm?" I asked her.

"I believe my master already explained that?" Elizabeth asked, sipping her coffee.

"Not very well."

"Very well." Elizabeth said with a smile. "If the occasion should rise that the influence of Shadow's try to infiltrate your mind, then the seal will suppress their power within you. However, if forced to overexert itself to rid their influence, it may cause a burning sensation on your skin."

"Won't that hurt?" I asked.

"My master says that the pain will only make it easier for you to regain control of yourself." She said, then sipped her coffee. "Oh my. I feel more attractive already." She stood up. "Well, I must be off now. I will see you soon, I hope?"

"Sure." I shrugged, downing the scalding liquid and getting to my feet.

* * *

I walked her out of the café and towards the alley where the entrance of the Velvet Room was.

"By the way." Elizabeth said, turning to me. "I'm sure that you'll be interested to know that a certain barricade that was blocking your path in Tartarus, has now been removed." She turned down the alley. "That was my original message. I hope that you have a safe journey."

Wait, so that's why I spent all afternoon with her?

Dammit, I'd figured that out already!

…

Ah well, I went back to the dorm.

* * *

"Alright ladies and Akihiko!" I declared once I walked into the dorm. "It's been far too long since I kicked some eldritch backside so we are going to Tartarus tonight and..."

"Oh, good evening." Ikutsuki said with a wave. "I'm afraid that everyone else is in their rooms preparing for tonight's exploration of the Tower already. You are quite late you know."

...

Facepalm.

* * *

It was in the Dark Hour, in Tartarus's lobby.

"Akihiko, I want you to stay here to look after Fuuka." I announced once I left the Velvet Room with some fresh Personae.

"Huh?" he asked. "Why?"

"Because I want someone to stay here with Fuuka in case anything happens like last time." I reasoned. "I'm leading, Yukari didn't get to come last time, Mitsuru wants to get back to the front line and I don't trust Junpei with any girl between the age of eleven and forty."

"Hey, come on man!" he shouted, then stopped. "Wait, what kind of age gap was that?"

"One that covered all the bases." I said, assuming Junpei isn't Kenji. "Any complaints?"

"Um… It's fine… really." Fuuka insisted, not wanting to start an argument.

"No…" Akihiko sighed. "No, he's right. I'll keep you company, Fuuka." He looked at me. "But I hope that we're taking shifts as we go up, I don't want to be falling behind!"

"Well, how's this?" Yukari offered. "Minato leads, so he chooses the team that goes up. We come back down every time we find a new transport point, and whoever's the most tired switches with whoever's down here?"

"Good plan." I said. "That okay with you Fuuka?"

"Yes." She said, confidently this time. She seems more comfortable here than she does outside of Tartarus.

Probably because it's something she can lose herself in.

"Alright then." I tugged on my new SAP gloves. They were like my old ones, only with metal power inside of the leather instead of just metal plates, so it protects my hand more and makes punch faster and harder due to the added mass.

Sweet, I know, but then I pulled a Macana out from the scroll. Think a stick with broken glass in it, and you're half way there. Actually, think an Aztec sword, and you've got it dead on. "Let's go."

* * *

You're gonna laugh when I say this, but remember when I said that I thought I broke my Evoker inside the Empress?

Well, I did. It's completely and utterly kaput. I put it to my temple, pull the trigger, and goop oozes out the muzzle.

And get this, right?

I never asked for a replacement.

And I left the tools scroll with Mitsuru's and Yukari's original Evokers at home for some bizarre reason unknown to me.

_"Because you're a retard?"_

Shut up, Pharos.

* * *

Anyway, I wasn't totally screwed. I'd just focus on Melee and rely on the others until we got to the next transporter. Let's see… we were on floor forty-two now, and the next transporter is at…

_~ Floor forty seven ~_

"Thanks Fuuka." I turned to the others. "See? Only five more floors without an Evoker, and then I can steal someone else's!"

They looked at me like I was mad. I probably am, but so are they. Not only does it come with the territory of having a Persona, but they are willingly following someone who is clearly insane. "Come on." I encouraged. "Before the Reaper decides that this is a golden opportunity!"

_"You never use your Persona against him anyway."_ Pharos said.

Let's hope he doesn't care about that.

* * *

He did.

_~ It's the Reaper! ~ _Fuuka shouted. ~ _He'll be on the floor in fifty seconds! ~_

Wow, that's plenty of warning. "GO!" I ordered. "I'll deal with this!" I shouted, pulling out the scroll.

"Without an Evoker?" Junpei shouted, as I got about setting my trap.

"Good point!" I shouted back as I got to work. "You stay here Junpei. You're my backup!"

"Backup?" Junpei gulped as Yukari and Mitsuru began running, grudgingly. "We're not gonna fight that thing are we?"

"Better." I grinned.

* * *

I explained my plan quickly as I worked. "Now keep quiet about it once he gets here, or it won't work."

_**What won't work?**_

_~ It's here! The Reaper is coming your way! ~_

I laid the trip wire at head height, where he was sure to get it. "Come on!" I shouted, running for my life.

_**I'm not falling for that again**_

We saw the Reaper shoot straight through the trip wire, activating the explosion early. He floated through the dust unscathed.

"NOW!" I shouted at Junpei, as we skidded to a halt.

"RRAGH!" He pulled the trigger, summoning Hermes, who launched a fireball at the wall near the Reaper, igniting the small amount of gasoline I'd sprayed there.

The explosion wasn't much, but it was enough to interest the larger amount of explosives I'd strapped behind the wall supports, where the Reaper couldn't see.

**KRAKOOM**

That got him. "GO!" I shouted, pushing him towards the stairs, where Yukari and Mitsuru were waiting for us.

* * *

Once inside the stair room, we both clutched our knees, panting for breath.

"Man…" Junpei panted, gulping air down into his lungs. "I am never… EVER… doing that again!"

"Let's hope we don't have to." I replied, standing up. "Come on, a just a few floors left."

* * *

We climbed the stairs and retraced our steps to see the chasm. The previous three floors had big holes in them, as did this one. Looking down, I saw the biggest corpse I had ever seen.

"Is it dead?" Yukari asked.

_~ Yes… ~_ Fuuka said. _~ I'm not sensing any signs of life from it. You did it! You beat Death!~_

_**Good Game**_

THE HELL?

_**I look forward to playing you again. You are the first to use cunning, instead of simply attempting to overpower me**_

Oh hell… not good.

_**I will not fall for such a trap next time we meet**_

Whelp. I'm well and truly buggered now. I saw Junpei leaning over out of the corner of my eye.

Wait, is he gonna… HE IS!

"DON'T YOU DARE!" I shouted, grabbing him and pushing him back. "DON'T SPIT ON HIS CORPSE!"

"Well, okay..?" Junpei said. "I just felt like it, ya know? Since… ya know… he's… dead? And all?"

"What if he comes back?" I asked.

I honestly wouldn't be surprised if everyone in the team shat themselves at the prospect.

"You serious?" Junpei asked me, pale and sweating. I nodded.

"What makes you think that, Arisoto?" Mitsuru asked.

I turned to Yukari and Mitsuru. "Ever since I taunted the Reaper, he's been taunting me from time to time when we were in Tartarus." I explained.

That surprised everyone. "And just now, he said 'Good Game. I look forward to playing you again'. That _kinda_ suggests that he's gonna get better. "

"Good game?" Yukari repeated in disbelief. "Playing you again?"

I nodded. "Yeah, it's a game to him." I explained. "I don't think he has anything to do with the Shadow's. More likely he keeps the place in check. Since he usually appears if we stay on one floor for too long, I think he only steps in when he gets bored."

"Oh man…" Junpei said, panic rising in his voice.

_~ So, you think that the Reaper will return? ~_

"I don't think he'll be back tonight," I answered, "But we're gonna need more explosives in future."

"Absolutely not." Mitsuru stated.

I turned to Mitsuru, who continued, "If the Reaper thinks that this is a game, then we simply won't play." She said, glaring right at me like an angry teacher. "Tomorrow, you will go to the antique shop in Paulownia mall and stock up on Traesto Gems."

"Eh?" I asked. "Why?"

"That shop is run by a previous researcher for Kirijo Corp." Mitsuru explained. "She re-opened recently, so you should see her wares. She can replicate many of the gems we've found in Tartarus, and she has recently returned from doing some intensive research into Personae. But from now on, if we encounter the Reaper, we will use a Traesto Gem to escape. Understood?"

"What if he decides to actively stop us from advancing into the Tower in retaliation?" I asked her.

Mitsuru gave me a death glare. "Then we cease exploration and find use alternative means to strengthen our Personae." She said. "Am I clear?"

I sighed. "Understood…"

"Good." She said. "Now let's move to the next floor. Unfortunately for Akihiko, we're going to leave it here for tonight."

Crap…


	30. Rebuild 030

Mitsuru gave me the silent treatment the whole way home. She's not really all that talkative, but you could tell she was pissed.

* * *

Uncle Amos said that he couldn't remember the guy's name, but he was a decent guy. Some scientist my dad went to University with.

So, I decided to ask Tanaka when I got to work.

* * *

"Hayate's best man?" Tanaka said to me as I handed him my report. "Haven't got a clue, but one of the guys in Finance might know…" Tanaka rubbed his forehead distractedly. Something else was on his mind..

"Hey, are you alright?" I asked him.

"Huh? Oh, sure." Tanaka told me. "It's just that I can't concentrate." Tanaka grunted. "I just get so worked up when I picture that assholes face!"

"Who's this you're talking about?" I asked calmly, helping myself to a seat.

"Oh… sorry…" Tanaka calmed down. "One of my employees… I guess I should have seen it coming…"

Tanaka turned to face me, hands held together like they were praying. "There was a young man who was working for me. Good kid, came from a great university… but this month, he didn't make his sales quota, so I docked his pay."

"That common?" I asked the boss.

"It's in the contract." He replied. "Doesn't happen often, but it's not rare. The kid's manager told him that. But for some reason, after that, his self confidence just went down the drain. Then… he just stopped coming to work."

"How long ago did he stop coming?" I asked.

"Earlier this week. He's been getting worse since the start of the month."

So this started two weeks ago then… "Do you have his address?" I asked him. "I'll go talk to him, see if I can get his back up to scratch."

"You're not paid to do that." Tanaka reminded me.

I grinned and shrugged. "Yeah, but if you're losing money because a good employee is falling behind, I'd try to fix the problem so he can start making me money again."

Tanaka smiled. "You think you can do that, kid?"

I nodded. "Do it all the time." I said. "In fact, I did it just now."

Confused. "What do you…?" Tanaka realised the mood he was in. "…Hey, you are good. Alright then."

He printed the young man's details from the database. "Here you go. There'll be a nice bonus if you manage it."

**SMASH**

_Thou shalt have our blessing when thou createst a Persona of the Devil Arcana._

"Thanks." I said, taking the sheet away from him. "I'll get right on it."

I looked at the sheet as I left. Naoya Toudou, huh?

* * *

I knocked on the guy's door. "Hello?" I asked. "Toudou-san?"

A young man with black hair opened the door. Emperor. Whoa, he looked like crap. He didn't seem that happy to let me in. "Um, My name is Orpheus Mikazuchi, may I come in?"

"What do you want?" he asked.

Okay, change tactics. I switched to Take Mikazuchi. The guy immediately opened the door wider. "Sorry, I'm just not feeling that good." he said. "Come in."

"Thank you." I walked into the room. Man, this place is a mess; he really did fall down bad. He closed the door behind him with a smile on his face. Eh? How the hell did he cheer up so fast?

"Philemon still up to his old tricks then?" he asked, walking over to the fridge.

I blinked. "Err… who?"

"Philemon." He said, tossing me a beer. "You know, the butterfly guy?" I put down the can as he walked over opening his own. "Gives you the power of Persona?" He hinted, jumping onto the couch.

Wait, what?

"You know about Persona?" I asked, raised eyebrow.

"Sure do!" Naoya laughed. "Man, seeing you change Arcana took me back… I've got the Wild Card too."

"Seriously!" I sat down on the opposite couch. "I thought I was the only one!"

"Really?" He sat up. "There were a bunch of us back in the day!"

"No way!" I gaped. From how Mitsuru and Akihiko had gone on about it, the Wild Card was supposed to be unheard of.

"Yeah!" he said, laughing. "You the only Persona user this time round then?"

I shook my head. "No, there are a few others, but I'm the only Wild Card."

"Man, that must be rough." Naoya shook his head. "I mean, doesn't give you much to work with, right? You only get a couple of slots as it is."

...Slots? "Err… what?"

"You know." Naoya circled his hand around in front of him. "I mean, you only have a Death Persona, an Emperor, maybe one or two more, right?"

I stared blankly. "On me?" I asked. "I've got Fool, Sun, Temperance, Justice, Magician, Hierophant, Strength, and Chariot."

He stared. "That many?"

"Um, yeah?" I was a bit confused. "I've also used Priestess, Fortune, Devil, Lovers, Hanged Man, Devil, Moon, and Hermit"

Naoya stared at my with an expression that said everything. I call it 'Holy Crap!'.

Not to be confused with the expressions 'Holy Shit!', and 'WTF?'.

"How many Persona can you hold at a time?" he asked.

"At this point?" I asked. "Ten. You?"

"Shit, and with that many Arcana..." Naoya whispered. "I can only hold four at a time, and that only start with one at first."

Then the penny dropped in my head.

"How many Arcana can you use?" I asked him.

"Four." He said. "I'm best with Emperor, but apart from that I've only got Star, Sword and Judgement."

"Woah, you serious?" I asked.

"Yeah…" he nodded. Now I knew what Pharos meant by comparing the sea to deep space. "How many did Igor say that you'd get?" he asked me.

I thought for a moment. Igor had mentioned it at some point. "I think it was… two hundred or so? Something like that?"

Naoya dropped his can of beer. "You are freaking kidding me, aren't you?"

"No, why? How many did you get?"

"Damn…" He put his head in his hands. "I was the strongest of us all… I could use the most Personae, and yet…" He sighed and leaned back. "Damn… I could only use thirty four…"

Woah. I've probably used that many already. "You serious?"

"Yeah, the others got around thirty at most…" He seemed crushed. "Two hundred Persona… We probably only had a hundred or so between us!"

Damn, I'm more powerful than I thought… "So, if you guys have Persona, then why don't you help fight the Shadows in Tartarus?" I asked.

"Tartarus?" he asked. "The hell's that? Sounds like toothpaste."

"That's what Junpei said." I laughed. "Tartarus is that huge tower that appears during the Dark Hour?"

"Dark Hour?"

"You know, that hour at midnight when the world turns green, everyone turns to coffins, and you have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?"

"Nope." Naoya admitted. "We fought Shadows at hospitals, graveyards, alleyways, wherever Nyarlathotep sent his Shadow Sides."

"Ah." So not all Persona Users had access to the dark hour. "How do you summon without Evokers then?"

"Like this." he grinned, a blue burning card appeared in his hand as he opened it. "PERSONA!" He shouted, throwing the card into the corner of the room. In blue flames appeared a green guy in white spandex, holding a small staff and had a fancy hat. "That's Amon-Ra." He said. "That's my ultimate Persona."

"Woah." I said as the Persona disappeared. "We have to use these."

I pulled my spare Evoker out of my bag, deciding to have one on me at all times. I put it to my head and changed Persona.

"Hey, wait a second!" Naoya shouted as I pulled the trigger.

**BLAM**

Orpheus appeared, floating next to me. First time I've intentionally summoned a Persona outside the Dark Hour, but if he can do it, so can I.

"That's my initial Persona." I explained to Naoya. "Don't know why we have to shoot ourselves in the head with these things, but, we do."

"Nice…" Naoya whistled, nodding his head as Orpheus vanished. "So, basically, you fight Shadows by shooting yourself in the head, in a tower that appears in a time no one knows about because they all turn to coffins?"

"Yep." I said, pocketing the Evoker.

He whistled appreciatively. "Man. Makes our adventure about deities manipulating humans because they were bored sound believable."

Wait, that reminds me… "You ever hear about the Reaper?"

His eyes shot wide. "That thing's still out there?"

"I killed it last night." I explained.

He shook his head. "He'll be back."

"I know." I said. "Sorry if I'm rushing things, I just wanna get some answers."

"Shoot." He said, grabbing my unopened beer.

"You ever do Social Links?" I asked.

"Never heard of them." he shrugged. "What are they?"

"Bonds with people you make that strengthen the power of our Personas of the same Arcana as them."

"We never had as many Arcana as you do, so that's probably why."

"Right." I nodded. "Next Question, you ever go the Velvet Room?"

"Yeah, the nightclub Igor works at, right?"

"Same here, though it was a lift earlier." That raised his eyebrows as he drank. "You ever hear of Elizabeth, Margaret, or Theodore?"

"Nope. You ever hear of Philemon?"

"Fair point. Elizabeth, Margaret and Theodore are Igor's assistants, though Margaret only fills in when the others aren't around."

"Philemon is Igor's boss." Naoya shrugged.

The hell! "Igor has a boss?"

"Well, might not anymore." he said once he thought about it. "I thought that he'd died after we killed Nyarlathotep."

"I'll ask Igor next time I see him." I said. "So, were you told that you had one year to save the future by a blue butterfly?"

"No, but Philemon liked to turn himself into a blue butterfly when he visited this world."

"I'll definitely ask Igor what happened to him then." I replied. "Last question."

"Go on."

"You coming back to work any time soon?" I asked.

He sat up. "How did you know about that?"

I smiled. "Tanaka's one of my Social Links." I explained. "I'm his financial advisor."

"Bit young for a college graduate aren't you?"

"Still in high school" I replied. "I'm just damned good at what I do." I stood up. "I'll tell him that you'll be back in on Monday, okay?"

"Sure." Naoya replied, scratching his chin. "He's gonna dock my pay again, isn't he?"

"Not if you can meet your quota within two weeks." I told him, seeing myself out. "Later."

**CRACK**

Hm, that can't be good.

**Crack crack…**

Time's stopped, but no Social Link voices.

**Crackcrack… crackcrackcrackcrackcrack… SMASH**

That's better BUT IT IS WINDY!

An Arcana card appeared in front of me, only without a number or a picture.

No, wait, there is a picture, it's a bullet hole in a glass window against a black background.

**_THOU ART I_**

GAH that's loud!

**_AND I ART THOU_**

This feels wrong… it's like it goes against all the other power I've gained... and yet it seems almost... fitting?

**_THOU HAST UNLEASHED THE POWER OF THE HOLLOW ARCANA_**

The Hollow Arcana? The power of nothing, of emptiness? That explains the picture of broken glass.

**_THOU HAST OUR BLESSING, SHOULD THOU CHOOSEST TO SHARE OUR MADNESS_**

Time started again, and I was afraid. And curious. Very, very curious.

* * *

"I am very impressed, young man." Igor told me with a smile. "You are the first Wild Card to gain that power."

"Well what the hell is it?" I asked.

I was in the Velvet Room interrogating Igor. He wasn't giving me much.

"Who can say?" he chuckled. "I myself know very little about that particular Arcana." Igor smiled wider. "But you must admit it does look very familiar."

Familiar? Actually, yeah. Sometimes when I'm in Shuffle Time I get to Double Up, and that card appears. First time I got that card, I lost all the other cards from that Shuffle Time. "Wait, does this mean I'm gonna lose my Personas?" I asked him. "Or my Social Links?"

"Relax." Igor calmed me. "I can assure you that that will not be the case. However, I cannot say for certain what abilities the Hollow Arcana entails." I calmed down, taking a swig of his drink. I hope he doesn't backwash.

Woah, that's not beer. The rooms already spinning slightly. Probably some eldritch whisky.

"You can keep that." Igor told me with a smile. "Now, is there anything else you would like to ask me?"

"Yeah actually." I said, shaking myself back into sobriety. "Who is Philemon, and what happened to him?"

"Philemon was my master in previous times." Igor answered. "However, though he has completed his mission, there are still Wild Cards, like yourself, in need my assistance. So," Igor shrugged. "He is now my master only in name."

"I see." I mentioned "And what about the previous Wild Cards?"

"They were only granted the power to change Persona within certain Arcana." He said. "There has never been a Wild Card before you who could use as many Arcana as you, now that you have found the Hollow Arcana."

"Naoya said that he could use the Sword." I pointed out. "That's one of the minor Arcana, right?"

"Indeed." Igor chuckled. "You may even find yourself able to call upon the power of those Arcana, thus proving my estimation of your power incorrect, yet again."

"Again?" I asked.

"I never considered the possibility of you finding the Hollow Arcana, for one." he explained. "Nor did I expect you to learn how to steal your Persona's abilities for your own use. You are quite extraordinary, even as a Wild Card."

"Any other firsts that I should know about?" I asked.

"You are also the first Persona user to be able to summon two Personae simultaneously, and the first to harness the power of a Shadow itself."

"I can't use the Shadow blood." I reminded him, then paused, and added, "Yet."

Igor smiled. "But of course." he said. "Now, may I be of any other assistance?" he asked me.

He knows. I don't know how, but he does.

"Not that I can think of." I told Igor, standing to my feet. "Thanks."

"Anytime." He said, smiling. "Farewell."

"Yeah, you too."

* * *

"Before you ask, I don't know anything more about that Hollow Arcana than you do." Pharos told me as I left the Velvet Room.

"Thought not." I replied. "Now, was there anything else I was supposed to do here?"

"Visit the Antique shop and play a gig?" Pharos reminded me.

"Oh yeah."

I clearly am going mad if my imaginary friend is managing my calender.

* * *

I headed into the antique shop first, since I had a few hours since 'Orpheus' needed to show.

"Hi." I introduced myself to the lady behind the counter. "I'm Minato Arisoto, Mitsuru Kirijo told me to come by?"

She looked at me over her glasses. "You look familiar… any relation to Hayate Arisoto?"

"Yeah." I told her. Wow, my dad was famous. "He was my dad."

"Oh!" She said. "I'm sorry about what happened."

"It's okay." I lied. "So, how did you know him?"

Oh, I was gonna look for my Dad's best man today! Damn, forgot.

Need to make that Pharos's official job.

"We went to University together." She said, smiling. "We weren't taking the same subjects, but we all knew him. Lovely man." She said. "And how can I help you?"

"Erm, I wanted to know about Traesto gems?" I asked.

"Ah yes." she said. "Now, if you bring me gemstones from Tartarus, I can convert them into tools to fight the Shadows with."

Alright then. I grabbed the Tool scroll and pulled out a briefcase. The woman was surprised, but hid it fairly well.

I put the case on the desk and opened it. "Will these do?"

It wasn't filled massively, but there was a decent amount. "I can make a decent amount of tools for you from these." She said "I'll have them delivered to the dorm, I presume?"

"Thanks." I said.

"You're welcome." She said, putting the case under her table, then turning to me with interest. "Are you the young man who can host multiple Personae?"

"Yes." I replied. "Why?"

"Well, I can create special weapons for you from your Persona." she smiled.

…what?

"Yes." she nodded. "If you bring me Nihil Weapons such as this." She placed a black shape that looked kinda like a shortsword, "And one of your Persona, then I can create a powerful weapon for you."

"Okay, but how do you get them out of my head?" I asked.

"By you summoning them, of course!"

Well, I do have the compendium, so I guess I can regain any Persona I lose, but best be safe and use one I don't use much. "Shiisha!" I announced, shooting myself with the Evoker.

The woman pulled out some ghostbuster thing and sucked the Persona into a conical flask, where it turned to a lilac liquid. She then put the flask into some machine which… distilled it?

I honestly hadn't a clue what was going on.

"I'll have the weapon delivered tomorrow." She said. "You can go, this may take some time."

"Wait, no charge?" I asked.

"I'm a scientist." She said. "Just seeing what will happen is payment enough for me."

Wow, thanks. "Thank you." I said, rushing back to the Velvet Room for a drink.

* * *

This crept me out slightly, but when I ordered a Shiisha, it was the exact same colour as the Liquefied Persona. Creepy.

Still, I was happy enough as I walked back to the dorm to get changed and pick up my guitar. I'd activated a scary as hell social link, learnt loads more about my power, and met a nice lady who used Ghostbusters equipment to turn Personas into weapons.

All in all, I need a sleep. But, I have a concert to do.

Hey, all rock stars get up on stage drunk, right?

So I'm in a better situation than them anyway.


	31. Rebuild 031

"I still don't think that should be possible." Yukari said as we walked to school on Monday.

"Neither did I…" I replied, clutching my bandaged left hand. Yes, I played so hard last night that I sliced my fingertips open. Mind you, that's actually not too uncommon, and usually you only need a plaster or something.

Of course, instead of doing the sensible thing and taking a break and casting Dia on myself, I kept playing until they were well and truly slashed open. Down to the bone. I was eventually disqualified and sent to hospital for rocking too hard. That damn monk just laughed his arse off.

Speaking of which, I'm supposed to be setting Kaz a good example, aren't I?

Yukari offered to speed the healing process up for me, but I declined. I figure as long as it doesn't get in the way of fighting Shadows, I should probably just use it as a good reminder not to go overboard next time.

"_Like that's going to happen,"_ Pharos smirked. Fair point, but still, 'accept the consequences of my decisions' and all that.

"Well, you still got your right hand, right?" Yukari asked. "I mean, could be a bit tricky taking notes..."

"Eh, it doesn't matter." I answered. "Ambidextrous."

"Seriously?" Yukari was surprised. I nodded.

Yukari looked a bit uncomfortable as a thought crossed her mind. "What's up?" I asked her.

"Oh, well," she scratched the nape of her neck. "What do you think of Mitsuru-senpai?"

...

The question's loaded and aimed at my foot.

"Don't you think she sort of pushed Fuuka into joining?" She continued in response to my silence. "I mean, it's good having her around and all, especially in battle, but..." she sighed. "It just feels… wrong…"

"Emotionally, Mitsuru didn't leave Fuuka much of an option." I shrugged. "However, I have no doubt that Fuuka wanted this."

"You think so?" She asked, so I nodded again.

She seemed a bit relieved, but still not one hundred percent happy.

* * *

Tuesday, I took Fuuka out on our first patrol. Mitsuru was back at the Dorm with her as I ran alongside Akihiko, looking for things to kill.

It's interesting, but outside of Tartarus, I prefer Mitsuru's back-up.

Let me explain. Mitsuru's scanning tells us a Shadow's resistances and weaknesses. Fuuka does this but quicker, as well as telling us the Shadow's skills, and relaying messages telepathically.

However, what she lacks is a thorough knowledge of the streets of Iwatodai, and a bloodlust that lets her quickly find new Shadows.

Compare Mitsuru to a blood hound, and Fuuka to ground control. Usually, ground control is better, but sometimes you just want a bloodthirsty animal to hunt down your prey.

And yes, my hand was still bandaged up. I'm telling you, I know what I'm doing.

* * *

I heard something interesting on Wednesday.

Apparently, now some of the culture clubs wanted new members. My options were Art, Photography, and Music.

I can draw pretty good and I've a decent eye for photos, but my first love is music. I actually got a scholarship to a music-based private highschool back home alongside Dave, but we both got expelled when we were sent to Juvenile Prison. Him for theft and wilful damage to property, myself for the same, GBH and justified homicide.

But enough about my life at fourteen, music club.

* * *

"Hello?" I asked, sliding the door to the music room open. It was devoid of life, empty except for some chairs, cupboards and a grand piano.

Not as grand as the one in the Velvet Room, but still pretty grand.

I walked over and sat on the piano stool, pushing a middle E note experimentally. I played a couple of scales. The piano had a good, melancholic yet hopeful sound. Dusting my hand over the top, I recognised the feel of the instrument.

I don't want to get spiritual or anything, but instruments, machines and even weapons have some kind of spirit. Not a soul, since they're not alive, but an experienced guitarist can pick up a guitar that had just come out of its case for the first time in years, play a few notes, and will always wince, because they feel the guitars neglect. Not misused, but _unused._

This piano was used, of course, but it begged for a skilled master.

"Alright then." I said quietly, tapping the side of the wooden casing of the piano. Thinking for a moment, I began to play a soft, melodic introduction that sounded perfect on this instrument. After playing it a few times, I began to sing along.

"_Put on my blue suede shoes, and I… boarded the plane…" _I took a breath, _"Touched down, in the land, of the delta blues…"_

I shook my head. _"In the middle of the pouring rain…_ no good?" I asked the piano.

The song sounded right, but it just didn't fit… the piano was asking for something different.

It wanted to let out some pain, show some determination.

I played.

I made it up on the spot.

A slow, mournful melody to begin with, slowly picking up volume and tempo. Then I hit the chord.

Dum DUM dum dum dun-insta-a-al! Oh, wait; this is an anime theme tune.

Well, it worked so I finished the line. I did it again, singing the song name this time, _"Uh-oh-wo-uninsta-al!"_

I hit the verse. Faster, increasing the determination and the pain. Bokurano, dum, dedadadadedumdedadadedum, fast bit, CHORD!

Now for the bridge, slightly more optimistic, but even more painful.

Quick riff aaand.. UnInSTALL! UninstaLL! Happy sadness, this just sounds perfect. I played the chorus again. _"Will forever, be one!"_ I hummed the English translation of the lyrics, _"Uninstall…"_

I played the whole thing a second time, only slightly angrier. Just the slight change in how you touch the keys, the force, the speed, the angle and distance, all affect the sound oh so subtly. Once mastered, the piano can be such a beautiful instrument…

Let's break it down now in an afterverse, then stop.

Slowly now… bring it back in…

Un In STALL! UninSTALL! Chorus, beautiful.

I shook my head slowly as I played the outro. This piano better be satisfied because I damn well am!

I played the final note, then a quick scale just to put a ribbon on the song, when I heard quiet, slow clapping behind me.

I turned around to see a slightly older kid in glasses walking towards me. "That was beautiful…" He said. "What was it?"

"Uninstall." I said, getting away from the piano. "Erm… sorry for intruding, but…"

"Oh, not at all!" The boy said. "Did you come to join?"

"Well, yeah, actually." I shrugged.

"Then welcome!" He exclaimed. "I'm the club president, Keisuke." He said, offering his hand. "Kisuke Hiraga."

"Minato Arisoto." I replied, taking his hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Oh, Fuuka mentioned you!" Wait, she's in this club too? "She said that you were supposed to be musically talented, but she never said that you were _that_ good!" He seemed impressed. "I hope you enjoy being our pianist!"

Pianist? "Oh, I actually came to ask about any guitarist positions?" I queried.

He was surprised. "You play that too?"

I nodded. "Better than I do Piano." I explained.

"Wow!" Keisuke was impressed. "Well, I'm very pleased to have you join the club!" he smiled.

"_He _should be pleased that _you _let him in, Keisuke-senpai." Another club member said, coming in. "You are the club president, you know."

"R-right!" Keisuke smiled nervously. "Sorry, I forget."

I heard Fuuka chuckle. "He's always like this… Oh!" She noticed me. "Hello Minato-kun, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, he just joined the club!" Keisuke told her with a smile.

"Really?" Fuuka beamed. "That's wonderful!"

"Yeah, I guess so." I smiled at Fuuka. "Great to be part of the team."

**SMASH**

_Thou art I… And I am thou…_

_Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Fortune Arcana_

**SMASH**

_Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Priestess Arcana_

Two birds, one piano solo. Behold my skillage.

"Erm… you don't need to come to every meeting…" Keisuke told me "Since no one else does."

"That's okay." I shrugged. "Where do you want me to sit?"

"Oh, I'm not letting you touch an instrument when you're like that!" Keisuke exclaimed.

I flashed a puzzled look, hoping for an answer, which came from the pianist. "Holy…!" he shouted. "There's blood on the piano!"

I glanced at my left hand. I'd cut my fingers open again somehow while playing… dammit, must not have healed properly.

Actually, I'm voting with the theory that emotional scars resist healing spells, hence why my head bleeds every once in a while. I enjoyed cutting my fingers to pieces last night, so most likely, Diarama isn't gonna cut it. I'll have to make do with normal healing.

"Sorry…" I said, raising my bloody hand. "I'll go see the nurse."

* * *

"Heheh, you do like to put your passion into your art."

Now, I'd been brought up to be tactful, and lately I'd been learning to be increasingly accepting of people, but the school nurse just freaks me the hell out.

For one thing, he's a dude, which breaks every law of hot nursedom. Laws aren't just good ideas, they are there for a reason!

Secondly, he started filling in for Mr. Whatsisface in general studies, which he spends his time teaching us magic. Not Harry Potter magic, or the real stuff we were doing, but the good old 'sit in front of a mirror chanting to a picture of a tree' stuff.

I actually had him earlier today, and it was all about the origins of magic in Shamanism. I don't believe a word of it.

"Well, these are interesting, kekeke…" he chuckled.

"What is sir?" I asked, hiding my boredom as he looked at my hand.

"Well, I read your palm as I bandaged your hand." he said.

"And?" I asked. It'd be a cold day in hell before someone could read me, but I'd like to see what this guy could come up with.

"I couldn't." He said. "My divination skills are quite impressive, but you are the first young man in quite some time whose palm I could not read…"

"Really?" I asked dryly. How convenient.

"Oh yes, kekeke… but that is not all." He looked right at me from behind those glasses of his. "I cannot read any of your true intentions either."

Ah, a so-called psychic. "What do you mean by that, sir?" I asked, humouring him.

"You fake facial expressions incredibly well, but I cannot see any honesty behind those emotions in your eyes." He told me, looking at me intently. "However, I cannot see any signs of deception in your face either."

Hm? "What are you implying sir?"

"Do you ever smile unintentionally?" He asked me, "Or frown when someone displeases you but you don't want them to know?"

Huh. Well, I've got emotional control in spades. "What are you-?"

"Answer the question, young man." He said, completely different from his usual crazy self.

"Erm…" I looked over his shoulder at Pharos. Do I?

Pharos shook his head. "Never." He told me. "Even when you look angry, it looks forced to me."

"I don't think so…" I said, and he scribbled in his notes. He then picked up one of those torches and lifted my hair to shine it in my eyes.

Seriously, what is with medical people with torches and what do they think they'll find in my eye?

"Tell me about that scar." He asked me professionally.

Ah yes, the small scar just below my hairline, above my right eye. I actually started growing my hair to cover it, but it looked silly at first so I went the full whack and got an emo cut. "I got it in the car accident my parents died in, years ago." I said.

He dropped my hair and flicked through my notes. "kukuku…" He chuckled to himself.

"What?" This was staring to worry me.

"This accident was when you were diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome due to your sudden lack of emotion?" he asked, knowing the answer already thanks to my notes.

"I have emotions." I told him. "For example, I'm getting pretty pissed off right now."

"Yet your face is a mask of serenity." Edogawa smirked. "In fact, your face never betrays your true intentions."

That… was a very good point. Edogawa sighed and continued; "My theory is that since the conditions were right and they matched your symptoms, you were incorrectly diagnosed when you were merely mourning for your family."

"Incorrectly?" I asked him. "What the hell are you on about?"

"Have you come to terms with your parent's death?" he asked me.

"Yes." I told him.

"And your sister's?"

"What's your point?" I asked him. Yes, I'm dodging the question. Sue me.

"And you have recovered from your subsequent loss of emotion?" he asked, avoiding what I didn't want to talk about.

"Yes!" I shouted, getting angrier here. What was he getting at?

"But you fake your emotions habitually, which prevented anyone from picking up on this before." He stated, grabbing a form of his desk, starting to fill it in.

"Eh?" The penny should be dropping, but apparently it's stuck behind my ear. "Picking up on what?"

"I want you," Edogawa said as he handed me the form, "To take tomorrow morning absent from school, and go to the Tatsumi Hospital at this appointed time."

I looked at the form. CAT scan? "What are the doctors looking for?" I asked him.

Edogawa looked at me with all seriousness. "Brain damage."

* * *

I didn't believe him, but I went to the hospital anyway the next day.

You'll never guess what they found.

No, seriously. Guess.

You can't, can you?

Go on then, I'll tell you.

Brain Damage.

Turns out one of the nervous lobes in the front of my head, the one responsible for linking emotion to the face, right?

Dead.

So my facial muscles work fine, more expressive than most peoples, as it happens,

And the lobes and glands in my brain that control emotions are also perfectly functional.

But the nerves that put two and two together? Dead as a doornail.

Meaning, all those smiles, glares, reassuring or angry looks I've given people? All fake. Turns out I've only been doing them because I thought I should be. I didn't believe him, until one of his mates stabbed me with a needle when I was looking in a mirror.

Turns out, the face I get when I'm most emotional is one of complete boredom.

That nurse knows his stuff.

"You going to tell anyone?" Pharos asked me as I got on the train back to school, since I wasn't excused from the afternoon.

"Only the nurse." I said. "Apart from that, I've got patient confidentiality. No-one else needs to know."

"Wise decision." Pharos told me.

* * *

When I got into the school entrance during lunch, I saw Chihiro getting grilled by two students. When I went to listen what was going on, while keeping hidden, I was pretty surprised at what was being said.

"That means you were the last one who saw that money!" the girl said.

"Huh?" Chihiro protested. "N-no! I gave that to the teacher!"

"You're the treasurer right?" The dude jabbed her with his finger. "Why are you in that position if you don't even know how to handle money properly?"

"Hey Pharos?" I asked, as Chihiro's interrogation continued.

"Yeah Minato?"

"Wanna do something bang out of order?"

Pharos sighed. "Go on then." He said smiling.

He stepped into my head, learning the plan.

"The teachers are in the office right now!" The dude shouted. "So why don't you go fess up and apologise!"

WHAM! I ax-kicked his arm down, not bothering to hide my emotions.

In other words, I looked completely uninterested in what was going on as I turned around and picked him up by his collar, lifting him up in the air.

His shirt ripped and he fell to his knees. Dammit, that never happens in the movies! Damn Americans again!

_"Go with it."_ Pharos advised me, so I threw the torn piece of shirt into his face.

"I don't like your tone." I told him. "Who do you think you are, accusing people like that?"

"I…I…" Oh, angry is scary, but plain bored is just terrifying.

I bent over so my face was inches from his. "Only Hidetoshi gets to do that." I warned. "Now get out."

The little bugger couldn't scramble away fast enough. I turned to his friend, still looking bored, by the way, and she practically jumped out of her skin.

"Boo." It was too good an opportunity to miss. I haven't seen anyone over the age of four react that much to those three letters before. She actually almost tripped as she legged it down the corridor after her friend.

Man, I love doing that.

I turned to Chihiro, putting on a concerned face. "You alright?"

"Y-Yeah…" She said, catching her breath for some reason.

_"I know why…"_ Pharos smirked. Shut up Pharos.

"Th-those guys think I stole money from the school funds…" Woah, not good. "I-I couldn't stand up to them… but… I… I didn't take anything!"

"I know." I told her, scanning her face for deception leakage just to be sure. "We have to do something." I said, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"R-right…" She said. "I-I have to prove to everyone that it wasn't me!" She got some energy back. "I… I never expected this to happen…" She said. "Minato-san… what should I do?"

**SMASH**

_Thou shalt have out blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Justice Arcana._

"Um… Sorry…" She said, "This is my problem… I'll try to take care of it…"

Wait, by herself?

Wait, this is starting to make sense… "I'll see you later, Minato-san." She said, walking down the corridor.

I wish I was wearing glasses right now.

_"Why?"_

Because I can see the ending.

_"You sad little geek person."  
_


	32. Rebuild 032

I really do not like how that nurse is so happy how I got brain damage.

Normally it's a bad thing to have brain damage. It's like one of the taboo words that simply uttering causes panic. That's why Monty Python's Brain Specialist sketch was so brilliant. It wasn't even one of their better ones, but come on!

_"Yes, I am the brain specialist. How can I help?" _

_"MY BRAIN HURTS!"_

Ah, the flying circus. And yet, no one over here had even heard of it.

I need to find someone awesome around here.

I wonder if Shinjiro likes Monty Python?

* * *

"HEY! It's the coach and her boyfriend!"

Time to explain the situation methinks - I was taking Yuko out to dinner to apologise for not helping out yesterday. I explained that I'd slashed my fingers open on a piano, showing her the bandages to prove it, but I still had to pay. The kids had improved so much; she'd decided to let them race the older kids.

Now that's where she and I differed. She was honourable, liked to play by the rules of her opponents game, and beating them at it.

Me? I was brought up on Dennis the Menace. Not the American one, our badass Dennis who beat up army veterans and smashed windows for the hell of it.

So, what would have happened If I was the coach? I'd have taught those kids to go up to those older kids and kick their arseholes from here to Birmingham. And believe me, you need to kick someone hard for them to land on the other side of the Himalayas.

Although that would be awesome.

"Coach!" one of the kids shouted as we walked into one of the restaurants at Iwatodai station. "We raced one on one, and we won two of the races!"

"We lost the other two though." One of the girls added, "but since it was a tie, they're gonna let us use the playground now!"

"We even became friends!" one of the boys declared.

"They said that we were pretty fast for first graders!" The other girl declared, "And told us that we could play with them some time!"

This way, it's win-win. My way, there's winners and losers, so I'll drop this issue.

"I knew you could do it!" Yuko was beaming. "I-I wasn't worried at all, because you trained so hard!"

"Thanks!" The second boy shouted. "Um… Big sis…"

"You guys don't have to call me that if you don't want to." Yuko told them, delighted. "Just call me coach!"

"Okay…" One of the boys said. "One… Two… Three!"

"GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BOYFRIEND!" The kids shouted in unison before running away.

Great.

I am not gonna get out of this am I?

Sigh. Damn you Home Alone. Ever since you came along, kids have ruined everything.

And damn you Home Alone Three. You ruined Home Alone.

Yuko blushed, but then sighed. "Why does this seem like… the end of some cheesy made-for-TV movie?" she asked.

I shrugged. "Well, there you go." I said. "You relieved?"

"Of course!" She told me. "I'd be the one to get busted if they found out they were using the practice field!" she seemed full of energy. "To be honest, I was almost too lazy to help them, but with them not around, it feels…"

"Lonely?" I finished her sentence. She nodded.

"Yeah, but I didn't want to give them the impression that I've been slacking off as a team manager… " she admitted. "But teaching those kids to race…it was the first time I really put my heart into something…"

"First time I really put my heart into something was when I carved my first Bokuto when I was nine." I said. This was a lie, but it's true if you discount the grim versions.

She looked at me, and then laughed. "I can actually see that… you with such a serious look on your face carving wood with a knife…"

Actually, that wasn't the look on my face at the time at all. My Uncle kept asking me if I was bored. Least now I know why.

"Maybe I wanna take care of people…" She said to herself. "By the way, thank you, Minato-kun."

"No problem." I shrugged

"Hey, we should celebrate!" she turned to me. "You know, to throw a little party for our first attempt at coaching!"

"Sure." I replied, smiling.

"A restaurant would be a little expensive…" She said, "And I'd rather not have it at the dorm with all those people around…" fair enough.

"Hey," She suggested, "How 'bout we have it at my house?"

**SMASH**

Oh snap.

_Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Strength Arcana_

Yeah, but I'm not liking where this is going.

"You should be." Pharos suggested.

Yeah, but I want to leave this with my status as an honest human being intact. I'm so gonna get screwed over this one way or another…

"Baad choice of words." Pharos chuckled.

* * *

She said that she'd tell me when we were having the party at some point later. I think I'm gonna have to go underground for a while.

And underground I went. I avoided people majestically.

Going straight back to the dorm on Saturday, I found Yukari and Fuuka playing with this EPIC wolfhound.

Well, a Shiba, but he's still a total badass.

I mean, seriously! Think a white husky with blood red eyes filled with awesome, and you're there! It's the very sort of beast you would call Bane, or Fury, or…

"Koro-chan, give me your paw!"

Koro-chan… what, WHAT?

The epic wolfhound obediently gave his paw to Fuuka. "Oh, good dog!" Yukari shouted, rubbing his back.

Looking up, she noticed me. "Oh, hey! You're back!" she called.

"Koro-chan." I said dryly. "Really?"

"His name's Koromaru." Fuuka said, slightly annoyed. "I've seen him sitting by the steps of the shrine."

"Oh, Koromaru's a decent name." I said. "Come here boy!" I called, slapping my thighs. The dog looked at Fuuka and Yukari,

"It's okay." Fuuka told him. "Go say hi!"

The dog walked over to me and sat patiently. Strength. The dog seemed extremely intelligent.

Wait, Strength?

I looked again.

Strength.

The hell.

Koromaru barked. This warrants further study.

"Wanna go for a run?" I asked, putting my bag down by the steps.

"Minato, you just got back from school!" Yukari said.

"Fine," I told her as Koromaru nodded. "I'll take the bag with me." I threw it over my shoulders and set off at a run.

Koromaru ran after me.

"There's no doubt about it." Pharos said. "That dog…"

"Has a Persona." I agreed. How the hell that came about I have no idea.

"So, where you going?" He asked me.

"Where do you think?" I said. "Somewhere I can get answers!"

"To the Velvet Room then." he laughed as Koromaru barked.

* * *

When I ran got to the train station, however, I froze mid-run, and started jogging backwards to the young man I had just passed. He was a college student, by the looks of things, with longish brown hair.

However, when Koromaru passed him his face screamed 'Holy of Holies, that dog has a Persona!'

"Excuse me." I asked him as I stepped in front of him. Sun. I switched from Orpheus to Yatagarasu, matching his Arcana.

Now his face said 'In the name of all that is Holy and Crappy, that kid has the Wild Card!'

I waved goodbye to Koromaru, he could wait. "I think I owe you a drink." I told the guy. "Wanna go to the Velvet Room?"

* * *

We ended up going to Escapade instead, since he couldn't see the Velvet Door. His name was Tatsuya Suou, and by the sounds of it, he was the Wild Card before I awakened.

He was of the Sun Arcana, and he could switch between the four minor Arcana as well as having a couple of Persona from all the major Arcana up to Judgement. Since he finished his 'adventure', or so he says, a few years ago, we both reckoned that he was my predecessor.

However, when I told him about the extent of my Wild Card, he was shocked, but in a very different way to Naoya.

"You poor bastard." he sighed.

...eh?

"The Wild Card goes against the laws of the universe." He told me. "The power to change your Self to such an extent is not right. The Innocent Sin of the Wild Card comes with an Eternal Punishment."

"What punishment?" I asked.

"It's different for each person." He told me, "But it varies on your power. The stronger your power, the greater your punishment."

…Oh... Not good.

"See, my Wild Card was stronger than the others." He told me, "Who were limited to only having about ten in a single Arcana. Since I had a wider spread of strong Personae than they did, I got the worst Punishment."

"Which was?"

"They lost their memories of the battles, and me." Tatsuya told me. "Not only that, I had to forget them and all!" He looked at me, slightly angry. "That douche Philemon stole every friend I ever had, and made it impossible for me to get them back." He sighed. "Well, he tried."

Tried? "What did you do?"

He took a swig of his drink. "I gave Cthulhu the finger. Screw the gods, I took back what was mine by my own hands, shifted the Punishment onto the real sinner."

"Who?" I was dead interested, which probably meant I looked bored. "What did you do?"

"I punched out Philemon."

…eh?

"Yeah, I knocked that damn, pretentious mask of his damn face, then I killed him." He downed the rest of his drink. "Let me give you some advice. If any of those divine beings or whatever try to offer you some thanks, tell them to bugger off and leave you alone, that's the best thanks you can ask for."

I was pretty shocked by this guy. "What about Igor?"

"Oh, Igor's solid." Tatsuya nodded. "That's why I gave him Philemon's power and made him the master of Psyche. Though, _he _wasn't too happy about it." He turned to the barman. "He still considers Philemon his master you know. Another one, please." He ordered, putting the money down.

I took a swig of my Sprite. "So, basically, he'd be looking for a way to get rid of his rank." I said.

"Probably." Tatsuya shrugged. "If he ever tries to offer it to you…"

"I'll refuse." I nodded. Pulling up my sleeve, I showed him the tattoo. "Know about this?"

He looked at it. "Looks like a Shadow's seal to me. Why've you got that?"

I rolled my sleeve back down. "Got eaten by one, then started turning. Had to amputate the arm itself."

"Good thing for Dia, am I right?"

"Too right." My phone rang. Akihiko. "Hello?" I asked.

_\_ "Where are you?" _\_

"I'm with a friend, why?"

_\_ "Did you forget that Ikutsuki called a meeting this evening? We're all waiting for you!" _\_

Oh, crap. "Start without me, I'll be right there."

I hung up and turned to my drinking buddy. "Listen, I gotta go."

"Sure." Tatsuya said. "Want my number, in case you need anything?"

"Thanks." I said, jotting down my contact details on a napkin.

**CRACK**

Oh, hell no.

**CRACKcrackcrackcrackcrack**

Damn… not again.

**SMASH**

_Hoowooooohooohhooooowowooo_

Huh? The wind didn't seem so fierce this time.

_THOU SHALT HAVE OUR POWER WHEN THOU LUSTETH AFTER OUR PAIN!_

Well, that still freaks me out.

"That one of those Social Links you were talking about?" Tatsuya asked, handing me my phone.

"Sorta." I said. "You ever heard of the Hollow Arcana?"

"Nope." He answered simply. "Sounds suspicious."

"I think so too." I nodded. "It cracks instead of just smashes, then instead of spiritual sounds you get a tornado in a coffin."

"I'll look into it." He said. "Shouldn't you be off?"

Gah! Forgot. "Thanks." I said, paying for my drink and grabbing my bag. "See ya!"

* * *

I burst through the door of the command room after running flat out at twenty, maybe thirty miles an hour at least for the past few minutes. I actually had no idea that charging my legs with fifteen Sukukaja's and Tarukaja's would do that, but there you go.

Not like I had much choice since I missed the train, and there wasn't another for thirty more minutes.

"S-sorry… I'm… late…" I struggled to catch my breath. "What… did I… miss?"

"There are eight of those big Shadows left." Junpei told me. "Pretty sweet, huh?"

I sat in a chair. "Yeah, Hierophant through to Hanged Man." I said. "Didn't you know that already?"

Ikutsuki pushed his glasses further up his face so the light reflected off the lenses. "I'm assuming that once again, you figured this out but decided not to share it?"

"Look." I told him. "I just ran here until…" I felt the warm sticky mess leaking through my trousers and then showed them my hand, "My legs bled by shoving my legs full of those speed and power spells just so I could get here fast enough to catch this meeting." I pointed a finger at Ikutsuki, "Only for _you _to tell me the bleeding obvious which you could have just told us over the phone." I facepalmed. "_I_, on the other hand, was doing some important research that may or may not save our lives at some point!"

"Really?" Ikutsuki challenged, not noticing the blood spilling onto the carpet. "Like what?"

"We aren't the first Persona users." I said. "Aaand that Personas and Shadows were originally created to determine the nature of man."

Oh, you should have seen those stares. "I met the leaders of the two previous generations of Persona users." I explained. "In both generations, there were multiple Wild Cards, but none of them have as much power or control as I do." I told them. "However, none of them can enter the Dark Hour."

"Wait, what?" Yukari asked.

"Which means that the power of Persona is not related to the Dark Hour, or Tartarus?" I said. "Apparently, some force called Philemon hands them out to those who want the power to earn their right to live, but he doesn't have anything to do with it this time."

"What do you mean?" Akihiko asked, interested.

"He's dead." I said, pushing myself to my feet. "I'm off for a shower, and then I'll type out a report and give you all a copy to read." I walked towards the door. "Memos. Very useful invention." As I closed the door behind me I added that "I'll clean up the puddles later."

Yeah, I ruined the happy mood in there, but Ikutsuki ruined my legs.

Well, okay, I did that, but he did cut short my highly revelation filled conversation with Tatsuya, and who knows when I'm going to have the chance to call him again.

* * *

I wrote up the summaries of what I was willing to share from what I'd learnt on my laptop then printed out copies.

I handed them out among the S.E.E.S. team, then grudgingly gave an extra one to Mitsuru to give to Ikutsuki.

What did I not mention? Social Links, The Velvet Room, my potential Shadow Transformation, the Hollow Arcana, Koromaru having a Persona, or normal people still having Arcana. The last two probably weren't that dangerous, but best keep it as plausible as possible without suggesting any psychosis on my end.

It was still pretty impressive how many minds I blew with two pieces of paper per person, even with all the information I left out.

How many you asked?

Five. I blew five minds, plus whoever Mitsuru gives the extra copies to. She decided to do some research into the Kirijo database into any records of previous social links, but so far, it looks like I got nothing. I sent an Email with my financial report to Tanaka, explaining that I wouldn't be in work tomorrow, since my legs still hurt when I went to bed, so I doubted that I could leave the dorm.

Come to think of it, I had a date with Chihiro on Sunday too, so I had to call her and cancel.

She was disappointed, but I really had no choice.

* * *

Good thing I did cancel, since around noon Yukari knocked on my door. "Orpheus Mikazuchi?" she asked. "Mr Nanjo would like to see you." She said dryly.

"Orpheus?" I asked her, limping out of the door. "What're you talking about?"

"That's what I asked the guy, but then he described a 'tired looking kid with blue hair in his face'." Yukari explained. "And since your Persona's Orpheus…"

"Fine, you got me." I sighed, "It's a fake name so I don't get into trouble for working as a minor."

"You got a job?" She asked. "Well, what's the problem?"

"Personal Financial and Business Advisor to President Tanaka of the Tanaka Mega Corporation."

That shocked her face off. "Secret," I added, "Hence the fake name."

* * *

Once I was down the stairs, I saw this guy examining the wall. He was in a black bikers suit with a huge '1' emblazoned on his back.

"President Nanjo?" I asked, looking at him. Hierophant.

He turned to me. "Ah, Orpheus-san." he said. "It's good to finally meet you. Naoya has told me so much about you."

Oh. "About Persona and such like?" I asked.

"Yes. Should we be talking here or…?" I looked behind me at Yukari.

I nodded. "Yukari's a Persona user too." I said. "And it's Minato Arisoto by the way."

"I know." He told me, walking over to the settees. "I did a bit of research into you." He explained, sitting on the far couch.

"Then why didn't you just ask for me?" I asked.

"You _did_ give your name as Orpheus." Kei pointed out as I sat on the one opposite to him, next to Yukari. "Quite a pedigree you have."

"I know." I said. "I also know what happened to Philemon."

"Tatsuya Suou killed him." Nanjo nodded.

"You knew?" Yukari asked.

"I was there." He said. "I can use Personae from the Hierophant, Hanged Man, and Coin Arcana."

"Right…" I said. "You two still in touch?"

Kei Nanjo nodded. "He called me about you last night." He explained. "He asked me for any information about a certain _Hollow_ Arcana."

Snap. Wanted to keep that quiet.

This probably should have been a private conversation, but it'd be even more suspicious to Yukari if I asked her to leave now. "Why would he ask you that?" I asked him, ignoring Yukari's confusion.

"Because The Nanjo group has a division dedicated to the research of Persona." He said. "The Kirijo group split from us years ago to focus their research on the Shadows." Wait, what?

"Are you serious?" Yukari asked in disbelief.

Kei nodded. "They split off from us about eight years ago, about a year after we started researching Personae under my command, taking the designs for the Evokers with them."

"Your company designed the Evokers." I said, deadpan.

Kei nodded. "Well, half way, they were unfinished, though it's believed that a skilled Persona User could use a real bullet, if they didn't have the ability to summon from a card."

Best keep quiet about how that justified homicide actually happened then.

"Cards?" Yukari asked Kei, before turning to me. "You mean, like the ones you wrote about last night?"

Kei held his hand out and summoned his card, again with the blue flames, impressing Yukari. Throwing it behind it him, he shouted "Yamaoka!"

Dude. His Persona is a butler.

"_Can I be of any service, young master Nanjo?"_

"Not today, I just wished to introduce you to my friends." Kei said calmly to the Butler/Persona behind him.

"Actually, could you fetch us some tea and scones?" I asked. No way was I passing this up.

"_I'm sorry, sir, but in this state, my services are but limited to battle.__ Should a Shadow happen to be particularly vulnerable to blackberry jam and earl grey, however, I may be able to accommodate you."_

"Best. Persona. Ever." I said.

"_As you say__, sir."_The butler said as he vanished. Yukari was still impressed. I want a Persona Butler. Surely Stephen Fry could qualify as a god or something by now – Jeeves is legendary!

"Would a Persona on a motorbike do?" Pharos offered. Perhaps, if it's badass. Let's find out another time.

"So, you find anything out about the Hollow Arcana?" I asked.

"Yes." Kei told us. "You aren't the first to access its power, but it's older than the power of Persona."

"Really?" Yukari asked. She had even less idea what the hell the Hollow Arcana was, but she was interested now. "How do you know?"

He turned to her. "The last Hollow user was in England, 1897."


	33. Rebuild 033

"Why?" Yukari asked Kei. "What happened in England during 1897?"

"There was a hurricane that killed around 20 people," I told her, recalling my history. "And there was also a big fire at Kings Cross Station."

Kei nodded. "They're related, but it's not the major thing." He said as he reached into his bag. "Have you ever heard of a man named 'Bram Stoker?'"

I stared.

Then I laughed.

Hell, I rolled over in the couch clutching my stomach I was laughing so hard. "Are… Are you serious?" I asked him, getting my breath back.

"Absolutely." Replied the manager of Nanjo Corp.

"Erm… who's Bram Stoker?" Yukari asked, feeling left out.

"He's the guy who wrote Dracula." I replied.

"He's also the man who documented the Hollow user." Kei added.

"I refuse to believe that." I pointed out.

"Oh, Dracula isn't it." Kei assured me. "That's simply a work of fiction which attracted the interest of the Hollow user."

Okay, that's slightly more believable. "So, what do we know about this guy?" I asked, getting back onto the couch.

"Not much." Kei Nanjo admitted. "In fact, we're not sure that this guy is the Hollow, but from what our research into the Arcana and what Tatsuya has told me, then this document is the best clue we have." He said, handing me a photocopy of some old writing.

"You sure this is real, not some new novel?" I asked, before reading.

"The events described coincide with police reports of that time," Kei replied, nodding. "And also of the newspaper articles describe one young man defeating many locals in a bar fight the night this document was written."

I looked at the copy and read aloud what it said, translating the olde Englishe into Japanese for Yukari.

* * *

_The beast was shaped as a man, with the mannerisms and appearance of little more than a child. Its intelligence, however, was beyond that of a man, only as great as its incredible madness.  
The beast was invincible, besting tens of men in combat with little ease.  
The beast was invulnerable, withstanding the mightiest of blows from many men of large stature, so much so that the men themselves injured themselves simply by touching the foul thing.  
The beast was majestic and beautiful, despite its inhuman scent.  
The beast was a monstrosity, wearing the skin of a young man. When it revealed itself unto me, its cold, grey, lonely eyes became golden, as beautiful as they were terrifying. Blackness rode its skin, like many roads encompassing the great moors of Scotland.  
While its face showed no hate, its unworldly aura was an affront to all things holy in the name of our lord, so much so that when I procured my holy crucifix to keep the foul beast at bay, it burnt to ashes with a wave of the devils fingers.  
Darkness and terror clasped my chest, so much so that I lost the power to breathe as it approached me. It looked at me with scorn only a demon could master, and it spoke in a demonic tongue, one as unrecognisable as only the dialect of Beelzebub could be, before leaving me in my room, stealing away like a thief into the night.

* * *

_

"So what does this have to do with the Hollow Arcana?" I asked Kei once I finished reading.

"Share our Power, our pain, our madness?" Kei reminded me. "Also, remember when Tatsuya told you about the Punishment?"

I nodded, putting the pieces together. Yukari clearly wasn't getting any of this, but she didn't like it. Remember, I hadn't told her any of this.

"Well, since the Hollow Arcana acts as a Social Link," Kei continued, making me wince inside as Yukari's frown grew deeper.

Again, hadn't told Yukari about those either.

"Then I can assume that this 'beast' was looking to end his Punishment." Kei continued. "Since the book Dracula seemed to pique his interest, judging from the date of the document," March, by the way, about a month after the book was published, "Then we can assume that it was because the Hollow user had similar abilities mentioned in the book. Mind control could be an exaggeration of the incredible manipulative abilities Wild Cards seem to have, but…"

"You don't have much solid for me." I finished for him. He'd already been a big help.

"Well, I can also tell you that both England and Japan have a large concentration of Ley Lines." Kei said.

"Ley lines?" Yukari asked.

"Lines of energy that run across the earth's crust." I explained. That would explain why we were two of the highest countries for mythology, followed by India, Greece, China and South America. "Though do they actually have an influence?" I asked Kei.

"Looks that way." He shrugged. "You got any better idea why we get all the Persona users and you get all the wizards?"

"Fair point." Same follows roughly for the other countries I mentioned. "Plus your Mikos and our Spooks. Thanks for your help."

"No problem." Kei said, handing me a business card. "Call me if anything comes up. I already have your number from Naoya and Tatsuya."

"Thanks." I replied, glancing at the card.

**CRACK**

Oh hell.

**SMASH**

_Thou art I… And I am Thou…_

_Thou shalt have our blessing when thou seekest the bounty of Coin Arcana._

That was… actually fairly normal.

"I'll see myself out." Kei told us, standing up. "It was nice meeting you both." He said.

"Good bye!" Yukari said, standing up and bowing after him.

I followed her up to my feet but waved instead. "Nice meeting you too."

Once he was gone Yukari turned on me. "So, what was he talking about?"

* * *

I had no choice. I told her about Social Links, that I get more power from my bonds with other people. I told her that the Hollow Arcana was a social link I activated recently with two previous Wild Cards, neither of whom had even heard of it, but I still didn't know much about it.

I told her that the cost of using Wild Card supposedly came with a price, or Punishment, but I'd worry about that later. I said that I wasn't supposed to talk about it, so she left me alone after that to an extent, but I could still tell that something was bothering her.

"More like you're bothered about being found out," Pharos offered, "But you can't tell her everything. She wouldn't take it."

Shut up, Pharos.

* * *

We ran through Tartarus a few times over the next week, but we'd made slow progress. Mitsuru refused to let me lead for the time being, until my hand was healed and until she was confident that I wasn't putting the team at risk with my reckless decisions and my behaviour. It gave me more time to get closer to Fuuka down in the lobby of Tartarus, but it didn't really feel… satisfying, like it does when I usually work with my Social Links.

Things hadn't gotten much better by Saturday either. There was talk about some revenge website, but what bothered me more was that Yukari was acting weirdly around the dorm. I'd asked her to keep what we talked about on Sunday to herself, and so far she had, but it was eating away at her and the team was suffering because of it.

Although, another problem was that it was a new lunar cycle. The Lost are turning up again, and this time in couples. The full moon would be on the seventh of July. Mitsuru said that I could lead again on probation, to prepare the team for then, but after over a week of little to no action, it was hard for to get back into the swing of things.

I held myself back in battle until I reached an acceptable level of violence in my battles, but by that time we had to go home.

* * *

Monday morning, Yukari spoke to me properly for the first time in over a week.

"Ya know, in about a week, there'll be another mission." she said on the way to school.

"I know." I replied, trying not to screw this up. "I'm not looking forward to it."

That surprised Yukari, but she showed a calmer face. "I understand…" she said. "I mean, we should be getting stronger and better as a team, but right now… it's like we don't trust each other…"

I'm surprised that she noticed, but apparently I'm not the only observant one. Junpei had started getting slightly more aggressive at me, Mitsuru still held me under suspicion, Yukari didn't trust me as much anymore and Akihiko seemed elsewhere.

Add me and my probation period, and Fuuka was the only one holding us together. "That's true, but there's another reason." I told her.

"What is it?" Yukari asked.

"Noticed anything about the Lost lately?" I prompted.

"They've been showing up in pairs, right?" Yukari sighed.

"Not just pairs. Couples." I corrected. "Numerically, we should be against the Hierophant next, but that Arcana focuses on defence and physical brawn, so it wouldn't behave like this."

"Behave?" Yukari questioned.

"Remember how the Empress manipulated those girls bullying Fuuka and targeted them?" I asked, getting a nod from Yukari. "This Shadow's targets say it's the Lovers Arcana, which suggests…"

"We'll be fighting two enemies again this time." Yukari finished for me.

"But that's not the worst part." I told her. "Lovers Shadows like Charming foes."

Yukari winced. "That's gonna be fun..." she groaned.

Charming. It was evil, and I hated it. Once Charmed, an enemy would think that its enemies were allies and would attack its allies as if they were enemies. The worst part was if they recovered, they just woke up with no memory of how they gave me that big sword wound. "If we have to fight two big Shadows with non-lethal weapons in order to protect ourselves from each other…" I started, seeing if Yukari would finish this for me.

"Then the state of the team is really unprepared for this one…" Yukari finished. Well, at least that's an improvement.

* * *

Exams were looming ahead, but since these were finals, not Mid-terms, things were getting slightly crazy. I actually spent as much time as I could trying to pull the team back together between working on my Social Links, but things weren't going so well. Even Fuuka was getting worried at the lack of unity we had. Maybe I was biased because of how pessimistic I was feeling, but school did not look happy as it usually did.

Yuko called me over to her house after school on Wednesday. Time for the party she was talking about earlier. Yay. I'm not really in the mood for parties, but I went with a smile on my face.

Edogawa was right, I am a fantastic liar.

Yuko, on the other hand, was awful at it. Right about when she started talking about babies, yeah. I could tell that she was trying to figure out what was going on in my head. Which means that I'm not as good as I usually am.

"Hey, you alright?" she asked me.

"Yeah, fine!" I smiled. "It's just that-" She leaned over and kissed me.

And not a peck on the cheek either, I had a tongue down my throat.

**SMASH**

_Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Strength Arcana…_

Way to trust some freaky voices to ruin what little mood I was feeling.

What the hell, I started kissing back.

"Yuko! I'm home!"

Crap, was that her dad? I think I'm getting enhanced hearing, since I don't think Yuko heard it.

"Yuko, I'm…" Her dad came in. Chariot.

"DAD!" Yuko screamed, pushing away from me.

"Yuko?" dadman asked. "What's…?"

Yeah, he noticed me.

And what I was doing.

With his daughter.

In her bedroom.

On her bed.

Crap.

"Get. Out." He ordered me.

"Dad!" Yuko shouted as I got off her. "What are you doing?"

"Look, I'm sorry if I offended you Mr. Nishiwaki," I offered, getting to my feet "But this is-" I was interrupted by a fist in my face.

"DAD!"

"You could have dodged that easily, you know." Pharos offered.

It was a father's punch, thrown for his daughter. It would have been an insult to dodge it.

"It's probably more insulting to block it with your face though." Pharos shrugged.

Sure enough, I hadn't budged an inch after Yuko's dad swung his fist into my face with all his strength.

"DAD!" Yuko shouted. Now, I'm not gonna say that I wasn't in pain. As a matter of fact, my left arm killed right about now.

"Okay, now that you've let it out," I began as her dad pulled away, but then he reached for SHIT A SHOVEL!

"Duck." Pharos advised as her father swung.

I blocked.

* * *

"HOLY… DAD!" Yuko screamed again as I rolled back to an upright position.

"Sorrygottagobye!" I shouted, diving out of the window.

Then I noticed that I was three floors up.

So I grabbed a convenient drainpipe, swinging for the fire escape, running for my life. "See you later Yuko!" I shouted, waving at her before wiping the blood out of my hair.

"You seem happier." Pharos noted.

I let a smile form on my lips. "I am." Not one of the half assed smiles of late, but a pretty decent one. "It feels good to be running for my life again."

"That's all you really want in life is it?" Pharos asked.

"GET BACK HERE!"

I looked behind me to see Yuko's dad chasing me, again with the shovel.

This was what I needed. No therapy, no words, just the chase; the escapist and the hunter.

It was like being with the Reaper again, only with people in the way.

Come to think of it, that's all I ever wanted. I knocked over some bins and ran into an alleyway as Yuko's dad chased after me. For someone's dad, he was pretty athletic.

I didn't want to save the world. I didn't want to fight. I didn't want to manipulate people to get great power. Hell, I don't even want to avenge my parents death. Not right now anyway.

All I really want is to run, and be chased. To be the underdog, even if I could crush the hunter with thought.

I love being the one to run, and not being the one who stands and fights.

A little escape from who I really am.

Like Aladdin, but the other way around.

Ooh, wire fence! I pot-vaulted it, dropping over the other side into a run.

Yuko's dad used the door in the fence. See? This is what it's about!

* * *

I twisted through the alleyways and came out at Iwatodai station. I could see Junpei and Kenji talking to each other in Wild Duck Burger, so I brushed my hair behind my ear and donned the fake glasses I bought recently for work and ran into the McDonalds knock-off, joining them at their table.

"Hide me!" I hissed, stealing Junpei's hat as I sat next to him.

"Minato?" He asked, surprised to see me out of breath. "Dude, what the hell's going on?"

I pointed my thumb at the window, and the two Magician's turned their heads to see psycho dad run past with a shovel, clearly looking for someone.

"Man…" Kenji whistled. "Who did you do?"

"His daughter. Well, no," I said, "Caught me making out with her, and chased me here. Don't squeal on me." I begged, making myself look as pathetic and adorable as possible.

Junpei laughed his arse off. "Dude… you actually got a girls dad to chase you with a shovel?"

"Now I can cross that off my list when I get home." I replied, jokingly.

"Man!" Kenji announced, "You have Balls!"

**SMASH**

_Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Magician Arcana._

See? This is what I miss. No serious, dark, mystic Arcana. No juggling two girls at once so they never realise about each other. Just hanging out with a couple of mates, having a good laugh. Preferably no angry dad threatening to cave my skull in with a shovel next time, but I'm not picky.

* * *

"There, that's the guy!"

Me and Junpei were walking back to the dorm later, and we turned around to five or so badboyz.

They're big, they're hard, they're gonna kick some ass and their mothers want them back by ten.

One of them looked familiar, the other's jaw was wired shut. The biggest one was big.

"I here you's the one who did this to mah boy!" the biggest one who was big growled. "I'm the Banchou of this place, and maybe if you both grovel and apologise, I'll let you leave here alive!"

"Um… I… I… Huh?" Junpei asked, already preparing to bow to these guys. I put a hand on his chest, getting his attention. When he looked at me, I shook my head.

Big man who was big was an actual fighter; someone who knew how to brawl, unlike the two flunkies Shinji and I owned almost a month ago.

"Don't you dare apologise to the guy who hurt you so he can kick your arse." I warned Junpei. "If someone dares threaten you, you let them know your place."

"Dude…" Junpei hissed, "He's not like the others! He's the boss, he knows how to fight!"

"And?" I asked him. "So am I and so do you." I nodded my head at a large lead pipe in the corner. "If you're worried, you could just use that." I turned to Da Boyz.

"Look, I deal with worse than you on a nightly basis." I warned. "And I'd rather not kill someone and have to leave the country again. Bugger off, alright?" I told the biggest one. "I'll pretend this never happened."

"Heh. I like your guts kid." Bossman walked over towards me. "Shame about your ATTITUDE!" He shouted, swinging a full haymaker into my face.

Remember when I said that he was a brawler?

Well, unlike Yuko's dad, he could throw a punch. However, also unlike Yuko's dad, he wasn't a dad. He was a Hooligan.

So, I gave him the Arisoto Hand. What was that? Why, my signature move of course. I've got it down to a reflex.

I grab him by the face and slam his head into the nearest hard thing, either the wall or the ground.

In this instance, I floored him, and stepped on his neck. "Now. New offer." I growled, leaning so close that my fringe brushed against his eyebrow piercings. "Apologise now, and your little friends get to leave before my friend kicks their asses."

"BOYS!" My hooligan friend shouted, spraying spit and some blood into my face. "GETTEM!"

_WHAM!_

Junpei decked the one who was aiming a lead pipe at my head. Guy was down in one punch. "Told ya." I told bossman as Junpei took out the other three underlings. "Now. Apologise and we'll let you leave _before_ tying you all to a post with your trousers down."

"Dude, that'd be awesome!" Junpei shouted, clearly happy.

"Yeah, but it's best to offer them one Last Chance first." I said, toning slight sadness into my voice. "Sucks, but it's the polite thing to do."

"Guh… Fine!" Grunted bosschap. "I'm sorry about my boys! And for threatening you, Okay!"

"You know when to apologise." I noted, slamming my forehead into his, knocking him out. "Good trait for a leader."

"Dude…" Junpei was psyched about his first street fight. "That… was so… AWESOME!"

"Let's do it again sometime." I smiled. "Hey, how do you feel about the next Shadow?"

His face fell slightly. "Apparently there's a chance that it's gonna be another double Shadow…" he said.

"You up for it though?" I suggested.

"Yeah." Junpei grinned. "We'll rip it a new one!"

"Good." I told him. "I want you to look after Fuuka during the mission."

"Huh!" His jaw dropped. "What?"

"You said it yourself." I replied. "There's no guarantee that if it is a double, that we'll fight them together. I wouldn't put it past them to try to take us out from behind. That's why I need you to cover Fuuka, you're the heaviest hitter after me."

Junpei seemed shocked. "You... you just want me out of the way for the next battle… I get it…"

I looked him dead in the eye. "No Junpei, I'm serious." I said, not bothering to blink the blood out. "The team's going down to hell, and I need someone who I know can defend Fuuka long enough for the rest of us to get there." I didn't say the other reason I wanted him with Fuuka.

Fuuka's invulnerable when she summons, but she can't attack. Junpei, on the other hand, has great raw power with his Persona, so if he gets Charmed, we're screwed.

* * *

Thankfully, Junpei accepted my explanation, and wanted to know if anything could be done before the mission on Tuesday. It was Wednesday now, so we had six days to fix our teamwork. Now what could we do?

"Hey, Minato?"

Yeah Pharos?

"You wanna do something bang out of order?"

…

Go on then.


	34. Rebuild 034

I liked Pharos's idea. It was a good one. Junpei didn't at first, but then I reminded him of how easily he took out five guys in his first actual fight. _Then_ he liked it.

"Hey Aragaki-senpai?" I asked the badass behind the train station

I wanted to be respectful, but not grovelling. Since he was my upperclassman in more ways than one, it was the correct title.

"…What do you want?" he asked eventually.

"I want to ask you again about coming back to us." I said plainly.

Junpei had been surprised that Shinjiro had been a member of S.E.E.S. at one point, but he was more surprised that someone would even consider leaving it behind.

"Did Aki put you up to this?" Shinjiro growled.

"He'd probably have our hides if he knew we were talking to you after last time." I told him.

"Then Mitsuru-senpai would probably kill us for talking to you about this." Junpei added.

Shinjiro glared. "What did she tell you?"

"She only confirmed that you were one of us when I asked her." I answered. "She also told us that you have a reason _not_ to fight, and that we should leave you alone."

"You should take her advice." Shinjiro grunted. "Get the hell outta my sight."

"Yeah, but since I just got back into my leadership role after a week's suspension for 'poor leadership', and I really want to piss her off in a way that doesn't jeopardise the team." I shrugged. It was one reason, partially true, but the main reason was that Shinji is awesome and want to see him fight.

An eyebrow rose into his beanie. "Poor leadership?" he asked. "Aki makes out that you're some golden boy. What'd you do?"

"We killed the Reaper." Junpei announced, smiling.

That got Shinjiro's attention. "Seriously?"

I nodded. "It involved lots of explosives, but we think he's gonna get better."

Shinjiro nodded, then remembered himself. "It doesn't concern me." he lied.

"Yes it does." I told him. "Why did you leave?"

He turned around and glared at me in the face. Perfect, give me the perfect excuse to concentrate on your expressions.

"What happened?" I asked, hands in my pocket and glaring back, analysing each muscle on his face. "You quit or get kicked out?" Shinji didn't say a word, but his eyes flicked to the left. Looking for an escape route. "So you quit." I said. Shinji's face flashed Surprise. "Why?" I asked. "They do something?"

No response. He glared silently.

"_You _did something." I said, and Shinji gulped and flashed shame. "You did something and they forgave you." Sadness, slight anger, deep shame. "They forgave you but you haven't forgiven yourself. Since it happened during the Dark Hour, there's no chance that you'll be punished for whatever you did."

Shinjiro's chin rose a millimetre, but fell again as he shook his head. "You don't know anything." he growled.

"I know you began to nod before you shook your head." I said. "I know that you don't believe a word you just said."

Shinji looked terrified. "Dude…" Junpei hissed behind me. "He look piiised…" Correction, Shinji was hiding the fact that he was terrified. And… relieved?

"Why are you so scared?" I asked him, leaning slightly closer. "I can understand how you'd be relieved about the prospect of punishment for whatever you did, but why the fear?"

Junpei was starting to panic, but I blanked him out, eyes on Shinji. "But what I really don't get…" I whispered, since Shinji was keeping a straight face, "Is why you would quit instead of atoning for whatever you did with your Persona?"

Disgust. Clear as day.

"Your disgusted by your Persona?" I asked.

Then it clicked.

Bingo.

"Your Persona killed someone." I said.

One look on Shinji's face meant that I'd hit the nail on the head.

"You some kinda mindreader?" Shinji snarled. "That your Persona?"

"No Persona, no magic." I told him. "I just watched your face and you told me the whole thing."

Shinji blinked, then sighed and leant back, hand on his face. "I lost control." he confessed. "You ever heard of Projecting? It's when a Persona user gets so emotional while summoning that their consciousness shifts between their body and their Persona's."

"Wait… what?" Junpei said in shock.

"But I'm guessing that means that the Persona's consciousness does the same?" I asked Shinji, ignoring Junpei.

"Something like that." Shinji grunted. "Point is that some kid's mom died, I'll never get punished for it, and that orphan is never gonna get justice."

Shinji scowled, then rose to his feet, making me back off. "Satisfied?" he asked. "That's why I-!" He never finished his sentence because I slammed a knee into his gut, winding him so hard that he sat back on the steps.

"The HELL?" Junpei shouted, not believing what just happened. "What's your freaking problem Minato?"

"He is." I replied, stooping down to Shinji's level and glared into his eyes, inches from his face. "Shinjiro Aragaki, you are pathetic." I growled.

"You don't know shit." Shinji snarled.

"Grind the universe into the finest particles, and I challenge you to show me one atom of Justice." I told him. "Or Mercy, or Truth, Love, Happiness, Hate, Regret, or even Right or Wrong, for all I care!" I jabbed my finger into Shinji's chest. "That's because they only exist in _people_. People make up your precious _justice_, the same justice that you _claim_ stops you from fighting to defend it!" I put on an angry face. I was pissed, sure, but I wasn't as outraged as I pretended I was. "YOU are just too scared to accept the fact that you screwed up, and you're too much of a pussy to do anything to sort it out!"

I know why I'm pissed. This guy is just like me.

I pulled an Evoker from my pocket and threw it into his lap. "If you can pull your head out of your backside by Tuesday," I told him as I walked away, "Then you're welcome to come back."

"Hey, wait up man!" Junpei shouted, shooting Shinji an apologetic look before scrambling after me.

"What the hell was that man?" he asked, clearly angry at how I'd been treating Shinji. "I thought we wanted him to regain _confidence_!" Junpei protested, "Not crush any chance we have of getting him back!"

"If encouragement would have worked, he'd never have left." I told Junpei. "Not trying to come off as a manipulative sod, but I'm hoping that I hit some home truths there, so maybe he'll come back on his own."

"Let's hope so..." Junpei sighed, rubbing his eyebrows.

* * *

I really hope so, because we talked to Shinji on Wednesday, and now it's Saturday, and no sign of him. We're starting to work better as a team again, but it's slow progress.

Well, I say slow, but that's not really a word you can use when you're knee deep in various Maya.

"BEGONE!" Mitsuru shouted, summoning her Persona to freeze a few dozen of them. Akihiko vaulted the frozen bodies and launched an electrical assault from Polydeuces, followed by Junpei smashing through them and burninating the survivors.

Ah. They're working together great.

I'm the one letting everyone down.

_~ Everyone! The Reaper will appear in 40 seconds! ~_

"The stairs are a few feet away!" I shouted to Mitsuru. "I can make it!"

Mitsuru hesitated, then nodded. "Pass me the Traesto!" she ordered. "You go on ahead for the Transporter!"

I pulled the gem from my pocket and tossed it to her. Once she caught it, I shouted "Wait until I'm up the stairs!" or the traesto would get me too.

She nodded, and I waded towards the stairs and summoned my Persona. "PALE RIDER!"

The fourth horseman rode through, creating a path through the Shadows. I ran down it as fast as I could hoping to reach the stairs before

_**Running away are we? That's no fun**_

"Arisoto!" Mitsuru shouted, "Hurry!"

Buggery, There's not enough time.

I switched up into the second stage of the Dark Hour and dodged the purple crystal that the Reaper shot at me.

See, it's a stage above the normal Dark Hour where everything moves slower in the black water-like mist.

But here, I'm fast enough to outrun the Traesto.

I left trails of blackness as I moved, and there were ripples in the air as the sluggish crystals burst past me.

I had just enough time to dive for the stairs and scramble to the next floor, leaving the second Dark Hour behind once I was safe.

_~ Minato-kun! ~_ Fuuka shouted. ~ _Are you alright? ~_

"Yeah… fine…" I panted. Just like the regular Dark hour, second Dark Hour does a number on you. "Time slowed down a bit though…"

_~ It was just your perception of time that changed. ~_ Fuuka told me, getting it completely wrong. _~ It happens sometime when the fight or flight condition goes into overdrive ~  
_

"Aw… I wanted time power…" I whined, drawing attention from the fact that I already do.

Fuuka giggled over the link. _~ Mitsuru-senpai wants you to__ activate the transporter and __come down as soon as you can__. ~_

"Alright…" I sighed as I got up. This was the last Tartarus Boss, as I liked to call them, before the barricade. We were getting close, and I wanted to get the Old Document from there tonight so I don't miss the deadline. All I have to do is hit the switch, come up with a team, and then

_WHAM_

OOF. I got up to see a Shadow riding on a floating horse. Emperor. It swung the blunt of its lance at me again, but this time I dodged it.

_~ What? But the Guardians never make the first attack! ~_

Surprised as you Fuuka, but right now I'm too busy dodging to pull out a weapon. "Can you scan it?" I asked her, ducking under the blade.

_~ I'll try! ~ _Scanning Tartarus Bosses were tricky, even Fuuka only got half results.

"Need my help?" Pharos asked me.

"Yeah!" I shouted, blocking the stabbing lance aside with my arm. I got hit by a Garula for my trouble. Good thing I've got Pale Rider right now, or that would have done much more damage.

_~ It's weakness is wind! ~_ Fuuka told me. _~ But it has barriers protecting it against wind spells! You'll have to get through them! ~_

_"How does she expect us to do that?"_ Pharos asked, entering my head and giving me the eyes.

_~ I think that if you can get under the horses armour, you can take it out long enough to activate the transporter! ~ _Fuuka suggested. ~ _You can't take it alone, you just won't have time! ~_

Wow, Fuuka countered my counter-argument before I got chance to think up of a counter for her argument. I dodged as the Horseman stabbed, then dodged again as it swung. I kept dodging, it kept attacking. Once I picked up the rhythm, I grabbed my Evoker. "PALE RIDER!"

_~ That won't work!~_ Fuuka told me as the Rider locked blades with the Horseman.

Don't worry, it's just a distraction. I ran forward, getting behind the lance just as my Persona dissipated. I skidded under the iron skirt of the horse's armour, then stood with my Evoker at the ready. "Woah, this is weird." I said, looking at this being that was hollow and solid all at once.

_~ Now's your chance! ~_ Fuuka reminded me. I put the Evoker to my temple and pulled the trigger.

BAM! I fell over as the Horseman charged forward, but it the Garula still knocked him off balance.

I recovered first, running straight for the transporter, activating it.

Then a big green spike shot from it, right into the Shadow's head.

I turned left to see Yukari draw another arrow, sending a Garu along the shaft as she aimed. That… actually makes a lot of sense, since the wind would increase the velocity of the shot, and the added spinning motion would increase the armour piercing ability of the arrow itself, and THEN it's charged with magic. "Nice shot." I told her.

"Hurry and get a weapon!" She ordered me, taking aim as the Emperor stood up.

Ah, right. Forgot. I unrolled the scroll and grabbed a decent loggers axe. "An axe?" she asked.

"Spear beats sword." I explained, tracking the Shadow's movements. "Sword beats axe, and axe beats spear."

"How?" She asked as I charged forward towards the Shadow. The Horseman decided to joust, pointing its lance at me as we rode towards each other.

Idiot's never played Fire Emblem.

I ducked beneath his thrust, then rose as the Shadow lost balance and I swung my axe down on the lance, bringing the Shadow to the ground before breaking its weapon. "NOW!" I shouted as the green arrow sped past my face, making a beauty hole it its mask.

Damn, Yukari was_ Good._

"You alright?" She asked.

"Yeah." I replied. "Slightly soiled, but okay overall." She hid a giggle.

She's trying to stay angry. I could torment her a bit, get her to laugh, but then the problem wouldn't be solved.

Well, now isn't the time to be mending bridges. "Come on." I told her. "Few more floors then home."

* * *

After we got to the barrier and I handed the Old Document to Elizabeth to pay for my 'surgery', I hit home.

Home hurt my hand.

Damn you home.

Damn you and your brick walls.

Luckily, I still had my gloves on, so nothing broke.

Except for that lamppost I kicked in retaliation a few seconds later. Hopefully no-one will notice.

It's barely even bent anyways.

If anyone asks, Junpei did it.

* * *

I spent Sunday in the Velvet Room fusing new Personae for Tuesday. I saw this new guy there so I checked him out. He said that he didn't have a name, but he was the Demon Painter. He painted pretty well for a guy in a blindfold.

Mind you, since time spent in the Velvet Room is no time at all, I was left all day to play detective. The majority of the Lost have come from a certain street called Shirakawa boulevard. I paid it a visit, and it appears to be some kind of red light district.

I thought I saw someone look familiar there, but it was probably bad manners to make eye contact here, so I ignored it, becoming very interested in one particular vending machine by one hotel.

I tell you. These Japanese folk have vending machines for everyone.

Durex. Connecting people.

...

Hey, this one over here sells porn.

* * *

"Dude, tomorrows the big day!"

Junpei followed me to school on Monday. I was hoping for some female company, but Yukari left earlier than me.

Damn me and my need to sleep.

Damn me I say.

"Yeah." I told Junpei, keeping my thoughts to myself.

"Man, I'm totally stoked!" Junpei shouted, milking the giant cow in the sky with his hands of enthusiasm. "Like right before a big tournament or something, ya know?"

"You've never been in a tournament." I said it as a question, just to be safe.

"Hey, I was pretty awesome in Little League ya know." Junpei said proudly. "They said I could hit balls as hard as a middle schooler!"

"What happened?"

"I quit." Junpei said. "Come on, we're late!"

By which he means that his dad spent his Little League money on booze.

* * *

I went to Kendo practice that afternoon. Kazushi was doing really well on his new combat technique, he was even keeping me at bay. I'm limited to using just kendo, no Persona enhancements or anything, but it's still a big achievement.

"KAZUSHI!" the coach roared. Kaz turned around, looking pale.

"Y-yeah coach?"

"…What do you think you are doing?" Coach growled.

"J-just practising coach!" Dammit Kaz, when you lie, you don't make excuses! The correct answer was 'Practising a new defensive stance coach!'

"That's enough practising for you." The coach ordered, glaring. "Come to the nurse's office. The rest of you!" He shouted, "Back to work!"

* * *

Once they were out the door, people started talking. Yuko, for example, came up to me.

"He's such a bad liar!" she told me. "You can totally tell that he's favouring one knee!"

"That's the point of the stance." I told her. "It's meant to allow greater rotation so you can fight multiple opponents while not moving from one spot."

Yuko looked at me, then sighed. "I knew you had something to do with this Minato-kun…"

"Well, yeah, I helped him develop the stance." I said, lying like awesome.

"Kaz is a sportsman." She explained. "He'd never practice something that wouldn't be helpful in tournament conditions. Why would he practice fighting multiple opponents," She asked me, "If tournament matches are one-on-one?"

Busted. "Alright, you got me."

"Follow me." She said. "We're going to the nurse's office."

* * *

Once we were in the corridor, Yuko began talking to me again. "Listen, I'm sorry about my dad…" She said.

"Ah, it's okay." I laughed. "I'll admit, shovels are new, but Junpei does worse in the morning."

"You're a very good liar, Minato-kun."

"Thank you." I said, smiling.

Yuko laughed "It wasn't a compliment!" she shouted, punching me in the arm. "Honestly..."

* * *

"I spoke to your mother about your leg." Serious Edogawa said in serious mode.

"You're throwing caution to the wind young man." Coach warned Kazushi, who was swearing under his breath.

"He knows what he's doing." I said to them.

Coach turned to him. "Minato-kun, you wouldn't say that if you knew what he was doing!"

I laughed. "Who the hell do you think taught him how to compete without hurting his leg?"

"Hey!" Kazushi shouted. "Minato has nothing to do with this!"

I shook my head. "Sorry Kazushi, but since everyone in here knows…" I looked at Yuko "Well, Yuko's pretty much figured it out, but I'll be honest."

"That's a first." Pharos said. Shut up Pharos.

"Mr. Edogawa, I taught Kazushi how to compete without putting pressure on his injured leg." I confessed.

"WHAT?" Coach roared.

"He has his reasons for competing, and I respect them." I told coach. "So I taught him how to preserve his leg until after the tournament, so he could get it treated and achieve his goals. If I did wrong, please tell me."

"Minato-kun!" Coach said, so angry he was forgetting Japanese and shifting into Angrish. "This… This is… Grfgl..."

"Minato…" Kazushi muttered. "Why the hell did you just bring yourself down with me?"

"Why did you try to go down alone?" I retorted.

**SMASH**

_Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Chariot Arcana._

"Actually, the young man is correct."

Coach looked at Edogawa in disbelief. "If he truly can fight without putting pressure on his injured leg, then there is no problem." Edogawa stated, "So long as he gets it treated straight after the regional tournament."

"I don't mind that."

"Me neither."

I turned around to see Saito and Manaka walk in. Hideo poked his head from around the door and gave his tuppence worth. "I don't mind if he's competing in the regional. If it's just an individual competition, then I don't have to worry about him dragging me down."

"What the hell you talking about Hideo?" I said. "Even injured, Kazushi could hand you your arse on a silver plate!"

We all laughed about that one. Kazushi agreed to take it easy during training, and we agreed to let him keep training for the regional meet.

* * *

Tuesday morning. The big day. I walked to school with Fuuka today.

"How're you feeling?" She asked me.

"Ready for a scrap." I grinned.

"Wow, you're amazing!" Fuuka smiled. "We're gonna have a quick meeting tonight about the operation." She added. "So, please return to the dorm immediately after school."

"Immediately?" I asked. Bit of a letdown. "Alright, I'll probably hit the gym for a bit before the meeting."

"We have a gym?" Fuuka asked, surprised.

"We do now." I grinned.

* * *

You know the best part of being a secret millionaire living in a school dorm is?

During school hours, no-one's around to see the delivery men set up a secret weight room and gym in the basement.

* * *

It was after school, and I was bench pressing 120 Kilo's right now, waiting for Mitsuru to call the meeting in about six or so hours.

"Hey Minato, Fuuka said you'd be..." Yukari's voice said, before pausing. "Wow, when did we get this?"

I looked up to see her paused at the stairs, glancing around the room, looking surprised. "Hey Yukari." I said, putting down the weights. "And recently."

"Did you pay for this?" she asked, admiring the sandbags.

Direct and to the point. "What else am I going to spend it on?" I asked her. "Other than Persona, I can't drive in Japan, got no vices, and I don't want to attract any suspicious attention."

"Riight…" Yukari said, looking around. "And how is this not suspicious?"

I waved the concern away. "Everyone knows Mitsuru lives here, so no major firm would think twice about something expensive being delivered here." I looked in the corner. "In fact, I'm thinking of installing a steam room there."

She blinked. "You're serious, aren't you?"

"Nothing else to do with the money other than ride the stock market, and I don't exactly need more money." I said.

"No buying expensive gifts for any friends?" she asked with a smirk.

I looked straight at her. "You asking for a bribe?" I smirked. "Because you 'aint getting one."

"I know, I was just… curious." she admitted, arms crossed.

"Curious?"

"Yeah, you're earning enough to support a wife, three kids, a mortgage and a car, but you're not doing anything with it." she said.

"Not so." I replied. "I'm clearly using it to build gyms in the basement."

"Yeah, you probably have some scheme set up so you're set for life once you become an adult." Yukari said, smirking slightly at the joke.

"Still gonna get a job." I said.

She looked at me curiously. "You have one, don't you?"

"A real one." I told her. "I only go in on Sundays to hand my work in and discuss business with suits. I actually want to _do_ something, why do you think I've got so many skills?"

"Fair point." She said. "So this… Social Linking your current job?"

"Pretty much." I said. "Keeps me busier than I've ever been."

"Then what about Yuko?" Yukari asked.

I didn't like that question. "Yeah, she's of the Strength Arcana."

"You dating her just for her power?" she asked.

Ouch.

Reminds me of Jessica and the Sons of Blood all over again... Wait, that's what this is about?

"Wait, that's what we've been so awkward about for ages?" I asked her.

"Huh?"

"Well, I care for her." I looked straight at her. "Friendships go both ways."

"Yeah…" Yukari seemed relieved. "Yeah, you're right." She smiled. "Sorry, it's just that… I never thought of you as a manipulative person before…"

"Oh, I am." I smirked.

"I never said you weren't." Yukari smiled properly now. "So, am I a Social Link then?"

"Nah." I told her. "If you were, then it would have initiated by now. I think it only works for people with problems."

Yukari was surprised. "Yuko has problems?"

"Small ones." I said, "But they do like to eat." Ah, wait a sec, "Actually, just realised, You, Junpei, Mitsuru and Akihiko are all part of the Fool Social Link."

She raised an eyebrow. "Fool?"

"You've got a Lovers Persona, Junpei's a Magician, Mitsuru's an Empress and Akihiko's Persona is an Emperor. My Persona's a Fool, so I guess it all just blends together."

"Ah, right." She said. "So, you feel good about tonight?"

"Would I be wasting energy on a weight machine if I wasn't?" I smirked.

"No." Yukari admitted. "You'd be wasting energy on the punchbag."

"Exactly." Hey, she did know me pretty well.


	35. Rebuild 035

Dark Hour struck - Go time. We were in the command room, on alert as Fuuka concentrated inside of her Persona, Lucia, scanning for the Shadow.

"Any luck Fuuka?" Akihiko asked her.

_~ Just a moment… I've found a strong presence! ~_

"Hey, we were right!" Junpei shouted in delight.

"Or so it would seem." Ikutsuki added. Yeah, we're still not cool with each other. Eh, we'll live.

_~ It's located in Iwatodai… in a hotel on Shirakawa boulevard! ~_

"Hm… Shirakawa Boulevard…" Ikutsuki said as he unknowingly flashed guilty pleasure on his face. "They've been finding the Lost in pairs lately… now I understand why…" Ikutsuki's been a naughty boy.

"In pairs?" Mitsuru asked, then realisation hit. "Oh, I get it…"

Fuuka dismissed her Persona. "Why what's on Shirakawa Boulevard?" She asked. "I'm not familiar about that area…" Good. That's good. Never change that fact of yourself, Fuuka.

Yukari also seemed not in the know. "I've heard about it, but…"

Junpei grinned. "That's where all _those_ hotels are."

Oh, you should have seen the looks on their faces when the penny dropped.

"I prepared a song about it." I said, beaming as I twirled the bowlers hat from behind me and picked up a performing cane. "_It's the substandard hotels on the lalalalala~ quarter of forth and Fremont, street!  
"Appealing only because they are that- unappealing!  
"Any practised catholic would, cross themselves upon entering-!"_

"Nonesense!" Ikutsuki said over Fuuka's blushing and my singing. "They are no different from ordinary hotels! The rooms are just a little fancier, that's all!"

"Aw, man, is that all?" Junpei groaned.

"Well, they also offer you your choice of woman when you book." I said, tossing the cane aside and tilting my hat. Stirring things is a hobby of mine.

"Arisoto!" Mitsuru shouted.

"And condoms in your favourite size and flavour." I added, removing the hat.

Akihiko was trying his hardest not to laugh or bleed, while Fuuka was trying her hardest not to laugh or blush. Ikutsuki and Mitsuru are getting angry, and Junpei was asking for a hi-five.

Yukari, however, was concerned.

"I don't know…" she said. "Maybe I shouldn't go…"

SLAP! Junpei was holding two hands together above his head. "You're just like a little kid, Yuka-Tan…"

"Dude, did you just hi-five yourself?" Pharos asked. Sadly, Junpei did in fact high-five himself. It looked like he was doing the YMCA.

"W-whatever!" Yukari was getting mad. "Fine. Then let's go." Okay, she's past mad and reached pissed. "But this time, I want a piece of the action." You really do have an unfortunate tendency to say things like that Yukari. "So, who's going to take the lead?"

Rule 34.

Mitsuru flicked her hair. "I see no reason to deprive Arisoto from his restored position." Dammit woman, will you never let that go? "Yamagishi, I want you to handle support during this mission."

"I'll do my best!" Fuuka declared.

"Alright then." I said. "Mitsuru and Akihiko are also on the team while Junpei stays behind with Fuuka."

"Got it." Akihiko nodded.

"Understood." Mitsuru stated.

"Yes, Sir!" Junpei saluted sarcastically.

* * *

I hummed various Panic! At the Disco songs on the way to the hotel. As we approached, I announced that "Right, I'm going to order a non-lethal weapons rule for this mission."

"Why?" Mitsuru said. She still didn't trust mah authoritah.

"Judging from where we are, I'm not running the risk of anyone being charmed." I said as I handed Mitsuru a lead pipe and Akihiko my new lead-shot gloves.

Then I handed Yukari some blunt arrows with a metal tip. "They won't pierce, but it'll still cause some serious damage." I then pulled out a pair of sai and spun them. Since they were blunt, they couldn't do serious damage if they were used as a knife, which a Shadow would try to do.

I shoved them into my belt. Turtle Power.

_~ The Shadow is on the third floor, in the penthouse suite! ~_

"Alright." I handed my various scrolls to Junpei, just to be safe. "Let's go in."

* * *

"They actually _do _come in flavours." Akihiko pointed out in an unamused fashion, noticing the vending machine in the corner.

"And ribbed for her pleasure." I snarked. It was the more tasteful snark I could have used.

"Focus on the mission!" Yukari barked. "…Men." She added under her breath.

"Kay…" I replied, heading for the stairs. "Come on, let's get this over with."

* * *

_~ The Shadow is behind this door! ~ _Fuuka warned us as we faced the Aeon room. ~ _Are you ready? ~_

"Are we?" I asked, receiving nods. "Okay then."

I turned to the door and kicked it down, smashing it off its hinges.

_~ Um… the door was unlocked... ~_

"Hey, I'm the leader, and if I can't blow things up, then I'm gonna smash things." I announced as I walked inside, ignoring everyone's shaking heads.

The Shadow was a big fat guy whose chair was feeling him up. "Ugh… why here of all places?" Yukari groaned, loading an arrow into her bow. "Well, let's get this over with!"

The Hierophant stood up, drawing itself to full height.

Its arms were freaking HUGE! I'm serious, like tree trunks!

And now I'm getting a good look at the guy, there was a hell of a lot of muscle in that flab.

Blunt attacks were not going to work.

Guess who left all their sharps downstairs?

"Good decision, Minato." Akihiko laughed, "Maybe next time we'll leave out Evokers at home too!"

"Hey, I was wrong, alright?" I snapped. "And that was _one_ time!"

_~ Everyone! Look out! ~_

GAH! Thunderbolts! Half of us dodged in time. I was one of the unlucky ones.

Fortunately, the other was Akihiko. Serves us right for complaining, I suppose.

"BEGONE!" Mitsuru shouted, launching a Bufula at the Shadow. Fatty swatted the attack aside, then ignored Yukari's arrow as it hit his gut.

_~ Its arms can block magic attacks! ~_ Fuuka declared. _~ You're going to have to get around them to hurt it! ~_

"Akihiko, Mitsuru!" I barked, "Take the left and right arms, keep them busy!" Actually, hold on, "Belay that, Akihiko and I'll do it! Yukari, keep its eyes on your arrows!" I corrected. "Mitsuru!"

"Understood!" Mitsuru shouted as she dodged around the side and I switched into her previous place, plunging my Sai into the Shadow's left arm.

WHAM! And I think it just broke my back against the wall.

"Minato!" Yukari shouted.

"Stick to the plan!" I grunted, "No overrides!" Dammit, I can't reach my Evoker. You're gonna have to leave for a sec Pharos.

_"Aye aye, cap'n..."_

Once he was out of there, I charged my Sai with Getsu-ei. The Hierophant screamed as my weapons slit through its arm. "Physical channelling works Akihiko!" I shouted, sending Diarama's down my back. "Charge your fists with physicals!"

"Got it!" Akihiko shouted as he punched the right arm, knocking it flying back into the Hierophant's face. The lumbering Shadow fell backwards- toward… oh crap! DAMMIT MITSURU! WATCH OUT!

I shouldn't have worried. With a sick _SLISH_ the Hierophant stopped falling as a big spike of ice rose through it, bursting through its gut. The top of the spike was black, stained with the Shadow's Ichor.

"Nice!" I shouted as Mitsuru ran back from the Shadow's shadow. Yukari, however, ran towards the Shadow, climbing on top of it with a charged arrow at the ready.

"Take this!" She shouted, launching the spinning weight into the ice, shattering it all the way to the bottom.

Splintered ice is far more effective at skewering flesh than any shrapnel, and that Hierophant could _scream_!

"Sweet!" I shouted as ran towards it, shooting myself with my Evoker. "ORPHEUS CUSTOM!"

BAM! The Persona rose into the air, strumming a chord that launched more fire into that already shredded hole. No kill like overkill, huh?

"The enemy is down," Mitsuru shouted, "Let's finish this!"

"Blood For The Blood God!" I shouted gleefully, already tearing into the Hierophant with my Sai.

"You'll fall by my hand!" Mitsuru shouted, diving in for her share of the kill.

**CRACK**

The Hierophant started to dissolve as its mask fell apart. S

Yeah, I bricked myself too.

Sleep tight ya fat bastard.

"Whegh, glad that's done." I said, landing backside first on the oversized waterbed.

_~ Good job guys! ~ _Fuuka shouted._ ~ We're waiting outside for you!~_

"Great!" Akihiko said with a tired grin, covered in ichor. "I'll get the door. Come on!"

Wait.

Door?

Akihiko grabbed the handle of the door, but it wouldn't budge. He tried ramming it, but nothing.

"What the!" He shouted in disbelief. "It fell down when Minato kicked it!"

…

"Shit..." Akihiko said as he realised that booted down doors don't fix themselves.

"There's still a Shadow in here." I told them, rising back to my feet..

_~ He's right! ~ _Fuuka shouted. _~ It was hiding its presence, so I didn't notice it earlier because of the Hierophant! But it's hiding in that room!~_

"But… where?" Mitsuru asked.

"Hey, is it just me," Yukari began, "Or is there something strange about that mirror?"

Like the fact that it's not mirroring? No, it's not just you.

Wait, what?


	36. Rebuild 036

My head felt foggy.

My arm hurt for some reason, and I wasn't wearing a shirt. I was sitting on a bed somewhere, and the shower was running in the bathroom.

Now why the hell

**_Embrace Your Desire_**

Guh… my head hurt almost as much as my arm…

**_I am the voice of your inner self…_**

My… what..?

**_Enjoy the moment… that which cannot be felt is merely a dream… The present is all we have…_**

That's not true. Thoughts are things. I have thought… I have memories… and goals…

**_The future is but a fantasy, memory a fabrication. Let your desire free you from your shackles… such is my wish…_**

I'm not shackled… I have full control… I want you out.

**_Pleasure is what you truly want..._**

I want you out.

**_You stand before the doorway to bliss… you cannot deny your instincts…_**

I'm currently working out how to kill you. _Get out._

**_Embrace your Desire_**

Get Out.

**_Why do you resist?_**

GET OUT.

**_Do not avert your eyes from the truth_**

**GET OUT

* * *

**

Suddenly, my head was clearer, but my arm still hurt like hell.

I was also standing up, off the bed. Suck it, bitch, no-one controls me.

The bathroom door opened. Through the steam came… Yukari?

She was clutching a towel to her chest, blushing.

And totally naked.

As in I can see either side of her torso, and a bit of something else I'm not supposed to.

More importantly, her eyes looked like mine normally did.

And she was walking towards me.

**_Are you as strong as you claim?_**

"Yukari…" I said, holding my arms out defensively. "Yukari snap out of it!"

The towel hit the floor. I closed my eyes.

**_Can you truly resist taking what you want most?_**

Yukari pushed me down onto the bed, panting. She was warm and wet, and naked.

I held her back as she kept trying to force herself onto me. "Yukari, Don't let it do this!" I shouted.

**_Embrace your Desire_**

**FINE! I WILL!**

I curled up and put my foot under Yukari's stomach, then pushed her. Hard. She landed roughly against the other wall. She clutched her head. "Ugh…"

"Yukari!" I shouted, rushing over to her. "Are you alright?"

"Uh… what was I..?" Her eyes snapped to attention, and she realised the situation.

The current one being that she was naked and wet in a love hotel being held by a guy with no shirt.

"AAH!" she screamed, slapping me across the face before scrambling for the bathroom and locking the door shut.

Good to have you back Yukari.

_~ Oh, I can finally reach you! ~_ Yay, Fuuka! _~ Can you two hear me? ~_

"I can." I said, leaning against the bathroom door. "What's going on?"

_~ I'm sorry I couldn't contact you earlier… ~ _Fuuka said shamefully. ~ _The Shadow was interfering with your thoughts, and you all got separated… ~_ We kinda got that already. _~ The others are downstairs, Mitsuru-senpai, and the Shadow is still in the room on the top floor. ~_

Huh, so we can't hear what other people are saying on that line… interesting.

_~ Everyone, please regroup on the second floor, by the stairs to the lobby. ~ _Fuuka ordered. ~ _You get that, Yukari? ~_

"Huh?" Her voice came from the other side of the door. "O-oh yeah, I heard you."

_~ Um… did, did something happen? ~_

"No!" meaning yes. "Nothing!" meaning something.

I'm a _waaay _better liar than her.

"You okay in there?" I asked Yukari, knocking on the door as Fuuka cut the link.

"Yeah, fine." she said coldly. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Shadow was controlling me too, but I managed to force it out before you came out."

"Oh… good."

"Sorry about that."

"Let's just… stop talking, okay?" she sighed.

"Kay."

"So close." Hi Pharos.

He entered me head. _"You may never get an opportunity like that again."_

You mean the opportunity to rape a hollow shell and lose my soul?

_"Just checking__." _He seemed pleased by my reaction. _"Course I am. Still,__ you should have seen what happened upstairs."_

Why? What happened upstairs? Oh, OH!

I burst out laughing.

"What's so funny! ?" Yukari asked. Well, more demanded.

"Just realised…" I managed, getting myself back together, "Akihiko and Mitsuru just went through the same thing we just did."

Silence, then laugh. She came out the door. "Uuuh... Why aren't you dressed?" she asked.

"Can't find my shirt." I said. It was true. "Or my Evoker, or my weapons. I do however have this for some reason." I said as I pulled out a condom out of my pocket.

"Ugh…" Yukari shook her head. "Come on then, let's go. And if you tell anyone… I will never speak to you again!"

"Got it." I stood up.

* * *

"Hey, I never knew you had a tattoo." Yukari said eventually.

Oh, right, it's visible without my shirt. "Yeah, long story." I lied. "I'll tell you another time."

We met up with the others upstairs. "Alright, before anyone else says anything," I began, "I would just like to point out that Akihiko has sword holes in his shirt and vest, and I am currently shirtless, whereas you two are still fully clothed."

"W-what's your point! ?" Mitsuru snapped at me.

"Normally it's the other way around… why do you have sword holes in your clothes?" I asked Akihiko, "Mitsuru has a lead pipe."

"You don't wanna know…" Akihiko shuddered.

"You're probably right." I sighed. "Anyone seen my Evoker?"

"What is it with you and losing Evokers?" Mitsuru sighed.

"Good question." I nodded, getting a little manic. "You know, Fuuka?"

_~ It's in one of those rooms on this floor. ~_

"Why the hell is it in there?" Akihiko sighed.

"We must retrieve it." Mitsuru ordered.

"Nah, it's fine." I said, "I'll run downstairs and borrow Junpei's."

"No, you need to get it, or it'll be taken to the police, dusted for prints, and if you don't get arrested for possible gun possession," Akihiko explained, "Then you'll get expelled for going to a love hotel." Akihiko explained.

"Fine…" I sighed. "Let's split up gang..."

* * *

We all went into one of the rooms on the floor. I found it hilarious how there were two Coffins on the bed. Lolses.

I saw a black short sleeved shirt thrown against a chair. I confiscated it, seeing as its current owner wasn't using it. I'll put it back later.

I was just doing the buttons up when I caught myself in the mirror. Or rather, I didn't.

"Hey, Fuuka, what's with the mirrors?" It had a weird gold sheen to it and it reflected the room except for me. I moved a chair to experiment, and the chairs movement was reflected.

So why not me?

_~ I got it! ~ _She shouted. ~ _It's the mirrors! They're giving off the same energy as the Shadow! ~_

DAMN! I kicked the mirror in, smashing it to pieces.

_~ You weakened the seal! ~ _Fuuka exclaimed. ~ _But there's another one on the floor above you. ~_

"Right." I said, heading for the door. I meant to do that. "Anyone found my Evoker yet?"

_~Akihiko-senpai has it.~_

"Great." I said. "Breaking is what Minato's do best. Uhohohohoo!"

I freaking loved Tigger.

* * *

Once we'd broken the seals, we went back to the Hierophant's room.

The Lovers shadow looked like a heart shaped balloon with the lovers mask on the front of it. It was covered in spikes, and had one right demon wing and one left angel wing coming from behind it. The spikes were secreting juices, which filled the inside, where one man shaped Shadow was boning another Shadow, one with boobs.

"That is sick…" Yukari said, and I was forced not to quote Rule 36. "Because of you, I had to come to this disgusting place! YOU'RE GONNA PAY!"

**_I see your desire… you do not want pleasure…_**

SHIT THAT HURTS!

I looked down to see a pink spike in my chest.

Oh shit.

**_You want Pain_**

"MINATO!" Yukari was shouted, rushing over to heal me.

"Hold on!" Yukari shouted as she pulled the spike out and started healing the wound. "It's okay, you can still fight!"

Once it was healed, she patted my chest. "All done."

"Thanks." I said, smashing her across the face. "Bitch."

"What the hell!" Akihiko shouted, grabbing my shoulder. "What's wrong with-"

I shoved my elbow into the assholes ugly mug, shutting his damn meathole.

"Shut it." I turned around and stamped on his throat. "You think you're so high and mighty, you get to order ME AROUND!" I snarled. The pretentious bastard was always pissing me off. "That's rich. You can't even keep your own friends in line."

"You… the hell..?"

Ice smashed across my back. I turned around with a grin. "Ah, daddies little girl, don't I have a bone to pick with you…"

"Listen to me Arisoto." The redhead ordered, Evoker to her head as I kicked Akihiko up into my hand. "You've been charmed! You're under the Shadow's control!"

WHAM! I threw the king into the queen. "I've never felt so lucid in my life." I said. "You should try it sometime."

"RRARGH!" BOOM! Polydeuces came at me, its punches oh so easy to read. I grabbed the Persona and Judo threw it against the floor, shoving my Elbow into its pit as it fell. "GAH!" White-hair screamed.

"IORI!" Mitsuru shouted, "We need help! Arisoto's been-!"

CRUCH! There, it's amazing what shoving someone's head into a wall with the Arisoto Hand can do.

Oh, redhead's still not out. "Night night." SMASH. "Still awake?" SMASH. "How about now?" SMASH. "Sleeping? Well... best make sure." CRUNCH!

"I'LL KILL YOU!"

I turned around and parried the boxer's punches. "Hey, Senada-senpai." I asked. "Do you know why boxing is the suckiest martial art out of all of them?"

"NNRARGH!" he grunted, throwing another fist before falling to his knees after I kicked him.

I raised my feet to stamp on his shoulder. "Because one Lowkick will take them down for good." WHAM! "Ooh, did that just crack?" His screams were fantastic.

"I got here as fast as I… WHAT THE HELL!"

"Hey, it's my favourite backstabbing cowardly asshole!" I smiled at Junpei as I grabbed Akihiko by the scalp. "You're just in time to see Gekkoukan's golden boy go down!"

"Dude... you… you're insane!" he shouted. "NOBODY talks when charmed!"

"Hold on, I'll be riiight with you." I chuckled as Akihiko tried to punch me feebly. "Just trying to remember what they count to in boxing…"

"T-ten?" Junpei offered."

"Thanks mate, I was wondering why I kept you alive for so long." I said as I lifted Akihiko into the air by what little grey hairs he had, then slammed my kneecap into his nose. SLAM! "ONE!" SLAM "TWO!" SLAM "THREE!"

"MINATO!"

SLAM "Counting. FOUR!" SLAM "FIVE!" SLAM "SIX!" SLAM "SEVEN!"

"Stop it man!" SLAM "This… you've gone nuts!"

"EIGHT!" SLAM "NINE!" CRUNCH! "TEN!" I threw him up into the air and punched him. "DINGDINGDING!" I span and kicked him into Stupei as he fell. "HE'S DOWN! THE GREAT MINATO WINS!" Damn, my arm hurts.

"RRAAGH!"

"Ooh, finally got the balls to face me like a man eh?" I said, dodging his pathetic sword slash, "I was wondering why you were asking me to stop instead of just making me. Why do you fight anyways?"

"RAGH!" idiot swung his pathetic sword again. "SO I CAN SAVE PEOPLE FROM THINGS LIKE YOU!"

"Bollocks!" I grabbed the back of his sword then punched its side. It cracked. "Try Again!"

Junpei tried to wrestle the weapon from me. "So… So I can Be a Hero and help people!"

"Survey says; EH EH!" I punched the sword again. This time, it broke. "Is that your final answer?"

Junpei fell back, waving his little piece of metal at me. "So I… Because I… I am…"

"Useless for anything else." I said, and the idiot fell to his knees. "You're a failure, you've no sense, and you're ugly as a mule and twice as thick." I sneered at the waste of space. "Face it. You're an even bigger screw up that your old man."

Junpei stopped cowering. "**Say that again.**"

"Ooh, did I hit a nerve?" I stooped to his level. "Does little Junpei have an ounce of respect for his daddy?"

"I AM NOTHING LIKE HIM!"

"Prove it." I smirked. "Tell me what you're good for." I challenged him. "And don't say Persona, or you would have lasted longer."

"I… I…"

"BING! Time up!" I grabbed him by the throat in lifted him in the air. "Junpei Iori, you _Are_ the weakest link. Goodbye!" I threw his ass right into the oversized fishtank by the wall.

Now to check I did the job right. Huh, glass didn't slit his throat. Well, rocks usually do the trick.

I like that one.

"IO!"

I threw the rock behind me. "AH!" CRUNCH. Such a satisfying sound.

I turned around. "Hey, that was a good shot, wasn't it Yukari?" I started walking over to her. "I broke the hand holding your evoker without even looking behind me to aim!"

She ran over to Mitsuru, but I got there first and grabbed her wrist.

"Minato!" she shouted. "Stop! Please!"

"Stop what?" I asked. "_You're_ trying to stop _me_."

"You're charmed! This isn't You!" she shouted. "Can't you see that you're being controlled!"

SMASH! I punched that whore right in the mouth. "NO ONE CONTROLS ME!" I shouted, elbowing her in the face. "Stay there, you'll get your turn." I told her as she collapsed to the ground.

"Uhn…" Was she still trying to get that Evoker? I kicked it out of her reach, standing over her.

"Minato...! Please…!"

I knelt down, straddled on top of her. "Hey, this feels familiar." I said as I smashed my fist into her pretty little face. "Oh, that's nice." SMACK "Not so pretty now, are we bitch!" I shoved an elbow in there. "Are we?" SMASH "ARE WE?"

"Minato…"

"Grr…" I am so gonna smash that

* * *

Eh?

"THE HELL?"

Okay, why the hell am I straddled on top of a bleeding Yukari with one arm in the air?

Why the hell is no-one fighting the Lovers?

Where is everyone?

I stood up and saw them. Mitsuru, Akihiko, Even Junpei?

What the hell?

"Minato… snap… out of it..."

"Snap out of what?" I demanded. "What the hell happened here!"

_~ You were charmed Minato-kun! ~_

Fuuka? "You alright? You sound horrified?"

_~ The Shadow, It… It made you… do this… ~_

"Do what?" I asked. "What are you…" Oh. OH.

"Minato…" Yukari was covered in blood, struggling to get up. "Are… are you…"

I ran into the corner and fell to my knees. My stomach heaved as a wave of nausea weakened my limbs. But…

I didn't vomit.

Because I've seen worse.

I've _done _far worse.

**_It's what you wanted._**

How the hell can you say that?

**_I merely unleashed your full primal desires._**

"I'm sorry?" I asked. "_MY_ primal desires?"

**_You were so happy. Let me return you to your bliss_**

* * *

I turned around and caught the pink barb.

"You… steal my body…" I hissed as dark mist began to rise around me. "You hurt my friends…"

_It kills me not to know this but I've all but just forgotten_

I crushed it in one hand "And you dare say… That _I_ wanted it?"

_What the colour of her eyes were, and her scars or how she got them_

"No pity." I snarled, the darkness rising fast around me. "No remorse. No fear."

_As the telling signs of rage ring down a single tear is dropping. _

"Kill for the living." I snarled as a black card formed in my hand. "Kill for the dead."_  
_

_Through the valleys of an aging face_

"And by my hand..." I said, crushing the card as blood ran freely down my face. "You shall be broken."

_That this world has forgotten_

"**ORPHEUS HOLLOW"**

_**SMASH**_


	37. TEAR IT APART

Black glass flew around me as Orpheus materialised.

"**THOU ART I!**"

The Black glass rushed around the Persona, strengthening it according to my will.

"**AND I AM THOU!**"

I was beyond angry. I was here to slaughter.

"**FROM THE BRINK OF DESPAIR I SUMMON THEE!**"

The glass moulded around Orpheus, creating black, beetle like armour.

The armour extended down the forearm, making the entire elbow downwards an enormous spike.

"**THOU ART HOLLOW!**" I roared. "**I MAKE THEE WHOLE!**"

I roared with Orpheus as the black mask rose to cover his face.

His rage was my rage, his bloodlust my bloodlust, his eyes were my eyes.

My fist was his spike.

I lunged forward with the right spike, but the Lovers swooped left to dodge. I stabbed the ground next to Junpei then dragged him aside as I stabbed the roof above where he was, making a hole in the ceiling.

"Uh.. wha… What The Hell!" Good, Junpei's awake. I stabbed into the falling rubble, but I missed the Shadow yet again.

"Dude, what the hell's going on?"

_~ Minato-kun's Projecting! You need to stop him! ~_

"Projecting?" Junpei looked scared, "Shinjiro-senpai didn't say anything about this!"

I ignored him as I stabbed forward again, trying to find the Shadow. _~ I don't know what the black substance is, but Minato-kun thinks that he's Orpheus now! ~_

Thinks?

**I AM ORPHEUS AND HE IS I**.

I looked up. There's the son of a bitch. I lifted my spikes into the air.

"**Ragnarok**" I said, casting the spell for the first time in an age.

The flames were immense: A pillar of flames stabbed straight through the Shadow, making it scream.

Oh, it deserved to suffer.

I strode forward out of the hotel, bringing down any wall that dared get in my way. Jumping down to street level, I saw the Lovers hit the ground. I ran for it.

"MINATO! STOP!"

WOAH, hold it. About to run off a bridge ledge there. "Thanks Yukari." I said, then jumped.

"MINATO!"

* * *

I landed in a roll and a brothel got its front wall knocked down. Orpheus got back up in time to block a huge Holy Arrow, parrying it to stab into the roasted Shadow. Come to think of it, I thinking from the complete glimpse I saw before re-entering Orpheus, he looked a lot like Zearth from Bokurano.

If that's the case…

I rested one spike against each wing, pinning the Shadow in place, and I rammed my knee into it. WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! It was full of liquid so it didn't take much damage, but the lovely couple had lost the mood by now. Good. I headbutted the Shadow.

"SCREEEE!" Hey, I have a horn now. Pink Slime gushed out of the wound, the two lovers scrambled to stop themselves from washing from the deflating sides of the Shadow by the stream. I rammed Orpheus's knee into the now half emptied sack of flesh that wasn't so tough now, was it? The man and the woman were thrown around inside of the Lovers womb, helpless against my power.

Then a huge spike came from the bottom of the heart shaped Shadow, emptying its insides of the Shadow's and whatever fluid remained. The spike dug deeper and deeper, widening like a tree trunk.

Wait, isn't the Lovers represented by a tree?

SMACK! One of the two Shadows smashed Minato's face, bringing me back into my own body. I span back and squished its skull in a single punch, and I caught my reflection in a shop window.

A white mask was forming over my face as I continued to fuse with Orpheus. Good, this'll make me stronger-WHAT?

My left hand had grabbed the mask, and the mask was growing over my fingers. I tried to move my hand, but it wouldn't do what I wanted.

Then the dark blue lines crept up my hand, sliding over my fingers. The mask immediately fell away, and the lines started growing up my face.

I do not trust these lines. They looked similar to the tattoo Elizabeth gave me…

Which was now gone. I looked back at myself, and my eyes flashed, now turning gold.

Wait…

…_My primal desires?_

This is…

…_I want pain?  
_

So that's what happened?

… _**Let me return you to that bliss...**_

My own Shadow, the one inside my head, is self-aware and can control my body.

I saw both of the two lovebirds come at me from behind in the reflections. Without even looking behind me, I backhanded smashed them, Man in the right hand and Woman with the left. Both melted and did not get back up.

Seems my Shadow likes kicking ass just as much as I do.

"The hell is this!"

I turned around.

Shinji? "What are you doing here?" I asked.

"What are you doing smashing up a street?"

I didn't get to answer, since I was busy dodging a big spike aimed for my head. "That thing started it." I said, pointing.

"Right." he nodded. "And what's with the warpaint?"

"No idea, but I'm rolling with it." Second part was true.

"Tch." he grunted. "Where's Aki?"

"Inside, unconscious." I shrugged.

"That idiot!" Shinji hissed, a disappointed look on his face as he lazily dodged an attack. "This thing do it?"

"Sorta." I said. "It likes to mind control."

"So who's left?" he asked. Good, he missed the implication.

"You and me, but I can handle it."

Suddenly, a whole field of Shadow people rose from the ground. These ones had features though, but since so many of them were naked, half undressed, or in fetish wear, I'm guessing that they're the local Lost.

"You sure?" Shinji asked.

I shrugged. "Well, might be tough if one more shows up."

"Tch." Shinji grinned. "Then that'll be the one I take care of."

"Wait, you're fighting too?" I asked as he sized up a stop sign.

He snapped the pole in one stamp. "I ain't gonna watch and let my friend die zombie food." He said, picking it up and swung it. "You ready?"

"Fuuka! Count us in!" Pharos whispered something before leaving. "And keep count of who kills the most!"

I opened my hands into claws, and black flames exploded onto them.

"Tch." Shinji grunted, hiding his smile. "Whatever, runt."

_~ Um… On the count of three? ~ _Fuuka hesitantly suggested._  
_

"THREE!" we both shouted, charging into the horde.

Bodies hit the floor. I sliced through them like burning hands through something melty, while Shinji smashed his way through like a guy swinging a stop sign.

Both very accurate metaphors.

_~ You're half way through them! ~_

"Yeah, but who's winning?" I shouted, tearing a Shadow's head off.

_~ Uh, what? ~_

Sigh, "Fine." I decided. "Whoever kills that sunovabitch gets a bajillion points."

"Tch." Shinji grunted. "Like I care."

He said that, but I could see the flicker of a smile on his face.

I knew it. He lived for this, he just needed someone to kick his head in so he could realise it.

I got back to the goal in hand. The tree started glowing with pink spikes. _~ It's going to summon more Shadows! ~_

"Kid. You got a thunder Persona?" Shinji asked.

"Uh, Yeah, Take-Mikazuchi, why?"

"Summon it." he ordered. "We're doing a Mix Raid."

That when two people work together to make a fusion summon?

Okay, then… the fire died as I switched Persona.

"TAKE-MIKAZUCHI!"  
"CASTOR!"

**BL-BLAM**

Thunder stabbed into the tree from the Thunder god's sword. The very same instant, Castor rode his uni-unicorn's horn into the very same hole, causing it to spark again or something because Zionga should not have shot out of every single pink glowy orifice that tree had. We were surrounded by screams as the Shadow zombies collapsed into nothingness, and the Lovers into a Mask.

"You want it?" Shinji asked.

"Hold on." I said, grabbing it and running back over to the hotel. The hole on the top floor was pretty massive. I ran up the side of the wall for a few steps then clambered up the side.

* * *

Once I climbed through the hole, the tattoos began fading. Everyone was conscious, but too wounded to heal each other. I put the Evoker to my head. "Cadenza!"

**BLAM**

Orpheus came out of my head, alone. However, I whistled the other part of the duet. Everyone started to get their energy back, and I fell to my knees.

"I'm sorry…" I told everyone. "I… I know I was being controlled, but, still…"

"It's cool." Akihiko laughed. "Charmed you is a Douche."

I smiled. "Was I really that bad?"

"Dude, you were freaking torturing us!" Junpei laughed.

I will fucking kill that Shadow when I get my hands on it.

"I'm sorry…" I said. "Hey, I brought it back alive." I threw the Lovers mask onto the floor. "Thought you guys might want to take your vengeance on that first before kicking my arse."

A brown boot crushed it before anyone could step forward.

"Shinji?" Akihiko asked in disbelief. "Wha-what are you doing here?"

"Cleaning up your mess, as usual." He said, looking at everyone. "Emo Git messed you all up pretty bad, huh?" So he _did_ get the implication.

"Um, I'm sorry everyone!" Fuuka shouted as she ran into the room. "He, he just came in and, I thought that since he helped us, then…"

"It's alright Yamagishi." Mitsuru explained. "This is Shinjiro Aragaki. He is… was a member of S.E.E.S."

"WHAT?"

Oh, right, Fuuka and Yukari didn't know. Those things _do_ tend to slip the mind...

"Thanks Shinji…" Akihiko said with relief. "I owe you one."

"Tch…" Shinji leant against the wall. "Is my old room still available?"

Oh, yeah, I told you so.

"Wait, you… you want to come back?" Mitsuru asked in shock.

"I needed time to think, and I thought about it." Shinji grunted. "There a problem with that?"

Akihiko laughed slightly "No, no not at all." He grabbed Shinji's wrist. "Good to have you back."

* * *

You might be wondering what we did to cover our mess back at the hotel. Let's just say it involved a minor gas leak and a broken wire to safely destroy the evidence. When the electricity comes back on as soon as the dark hour ends, the spark will activate the gas: destroying that room and shaking all of the others. The shockwaves would also affect some of the other buildings, so we covered all of our tracks.

I am a genius at doing that.

How did we celebrate our victory? With Thai food, of course. I footed the bill this time, which would have been a punishment if I wasn't… you know.

And I gotta say, doing a full assault like we did tonight against the Hierophant and the zombie army? _So_ much fun. We're gonna do that again sometime.

Shinji moved right back into the dorm that night, said that he'd grab his stuff from his standard student dormitory the next day. Mitsuru said that he had to start coming back to classes though, if he was rejoining S.E.E.S., to which he said "Tch." Shinji likes that word. Tch.

I like it too.

Kinda like "Meh", only much more badass.

There's just one more thing left to take care of before I sleep well tonight.

* * *

I stood in the wet and windy moors of my mind, and then I found him.

There's the bastard.

He looks just like me, only a little taller. He has black hair cut to short-back-and-sides, and he's in a suit.

"You." I snarled.

He stood up, looking at me with those yellow eyes of his.

"Stay the hell out of my body." I warned him, bringing up the dark flames around my hand. "Or I will kill you."

He looked at me, then smirked, raising a hand.

White particles formed around him, creating a massive gun-

That's a Bolter from Warhammer.

"**You do realise that I am you, right?**" my Shadow told me. "**I am Minato Arisoto.**"

"Whatever, just keep watching me like you do." I warned it. "And if you ever, **_ever_**, interfere with my actions again, I will end you."

The bastard nodded.

"**Kill for the living and kill for the dead, right?**" It asked, and I left.

* * *

**-}+{-**

* * *

Gasp. Shocker.

Oh yes. Those who read the original Fairly English Story will find this much more interesting now.

Rebuild, just to Tear It Apart. Then I Rebuild.

Admit it. I am awesome.

Know what else is awesome?

Minato means port. So does Marina.

And now, for the Situation.

I'm ending it here.

I've got my point across, all that needs to be learnt for the moment has been learnt.

See For Every Soul to continue learning more.


End file.
